


Trapped

by Mattstuff



Category: Riverdale - Fandom
Genre: Archie Andrews is a Good Friend, Betty Cooper Loves Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper Needs a Hug, Don't Like Don't Read, FP Jones II's A+ Parenting, Good Parent FP Jones II, Hurt FP Jones II, Hurt Jughead Jones, I Made Myself Cry, I'm Bad At Titles, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Jughead Jones-centric, Kidnapping, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Original Character(s), Please Don't Hate Me, Protective FP Jones II, Sheriff FP Jones II, Veronica Lodge is a Good Friend, Violence, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 49,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27713174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mattstuff/pseuds/Mattstuff
Summary: This is my own version of "Fear The Reaper". Jellybean's disappearance was a decoy, a distraction orchestrated by Kurtz. Now that the Joneses are scattered he can finally claim the gift handed to him by the Gargoyle King: Jughead Jones.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper & Jellybean Jones, Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, FP Jones II & Jughead Jones, Jellybean Jones & Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones/Kurtz
Comments: 43
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, let's get some things straight. This is my first Riverdale fanfic so no judging. English is not my mother tongue so sorry for my mistakes. Um, I think I should explain the origin of the story...I always liked kidnap mystery stories and I thought : "Why not write one?".Anyways, enjoy the story, I guess. And tell what you think in the comments.

Jughead doesn’t remember much from what happened the night he was rescued. The fever had somehow numbed the pain from the injuries. He didn’t care that the temperature in that basement had probably reached below zero. The cold made him numb, which made the pain go away.Winters lasted a lot longer up there. Something he learned when he had been brought in this hellhole. He remembered the night Kurtz brought him in this fucking shack. He remembered everything that followed. The beginning of the end.  
“No!” he moaned shutting his eyes “Don’t think, stop thinking” he whispered to himself. He had to keep his mind empty, it was the only way he could go through the night without going back to that place. The place where he could feel every touch, every little thing that Kurtz had whispered in his ear.   
The fever probably got worse later on. It’s probably the reason why he does not remember much about when the police found him. He remembered a strong light blinding him and then a lot of voices, hands all over him and a lot of movement. When he came to he could not understand what was happening. Blurry faces were coming in and out of his vision. Then he must have passed out again because he could not stop them. As much as he tried he could not stop the memories of the last year. Like tidal waves they kept hitting him again and again threatening to drown him. 

One year – three months – seven days – eight hours ago

Jughead’s hands trembled as he looked outside the car window. He didn’t know how much time had passed since they had left Riverdale. But it must have been a while because the first rays of sunshine made their appearance behind the mountains. The dark blue sky along with all the stars had started to fade into purple and light blue shade. It was a breathtaking sight but it would be impossible for anyone to enjoy it with a gun pointed at them. Despite his best efforts he was unable to ignore Kutz’s presence just a few meters away from him. Nothing would please Jughead more than to punch the shit out of him for everything he did to his family. But he had to see things rationally. He was trapped in a car, with a gun-holding psycho. Attacking Kurtz now would not do him or Jellybean any good. The best choice would be to get him taking. Try and find out whether or not Jellybean was safe. 

“Kurtz, are you taking me to my sister?”

Kurtz laughed.“The little princess is safe and sound in your house”

Jughead sighed in relief. Jellybean was safe. A least she would not be a part of whatever Kurtz was planning to do next.  
“Where are you taking me then?” 

Kutz sick smiled grew more if possible.  
“Your new home” he simply said and Jughead felt chills go down spine.

“What are you talking about?”

Kutz gave a sharp laugh that made Jughead jump.  
“Don’t you get it? The little princess was never the objective. Tonight’s quest was a decoy, to distract your family. To give me time to receive my gift”

The more Jughead heard the more he realize how dangerous was the situation he got himself in.  
“G-gift?”

Kurtz took his eyes from the road and looked directly into Jughead’s. He smiled and took his hand from the wheel and slowly caressed Jughead’s face. Jughead had to use all his will power to not punch him.  
Kurtz withdrew his hand and turned his gaze back on the road.  
“You” he continued. “You are the gift, as commanded by the king, for my services” 

“W-what?”

“Do not worry my darling. We will be there soon” Kurtz said moving his hand again but this time to grip Jughead’s knee.  
Jughead spurred in motion and hit Kurtz’s hand. 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” He yelled. It suddenly became all too clear to him what was talking about. And what he wanted.

“Shhh…It’s alright darling”

“No fucking way! Stop the damn car right now or else-“  
The click of a gun loading silenced Jughead. 

“You don’t have to like it” Kurtz said without looking at him. “I can always get rid of you and go after your sister. After all the king is generous to those who live under his command”

Jughead turned his gaze to the road as well. He could not stop the two tears that rolled down his face and trickled his neck.  
“You won’t get away with this. My friends and my Dad, they will find me”

“No one will find you where we are going. Besides, your dad is held for committing a robbery, your mom will be out of town the moment she is released from the hospital and as for your friends, well, it could take days for them to realize what has happened”

Jughead closed his eyes as more tears rolled down his face. Kurtz was right. It would take days before anyone started looking for him. They could be out of the country by then. He didn’t say anything else, neither did Kurtz. He kept looking ahead of him as he desperately fought to silence the sobs that made his body shake.

When Kurtz stopped the car, a few hours later the sun was on the top of the sky. They had drove through a pine tree forest and reached a clearing and stopped in front of a small shack. Kurtz got out and Jughead contemplated whether or not it would be a good idea to make a run for it. He decided against it. He had no idea where he was and there was no way he could go anywhere without the car. He had paid close attention while they were driving. Any town or village they had passed was miles away.  
The door opened and Kurtz aimed the gun at him.

“Get out” he commanded and Jughead did what he was told. He had to give them time to find him. He had to play it smart. The best thing he could do like now would be to make Kurtz think he had the upper hand.

Kurtz pressed the gun on his waist as he pushed him forward. They walked in through the open door.   
‘He must had opened it when he got out of the car’ Jughead thought ‘So he must have a key somewhere’ 

The house was actually really small. The kitchen and the bed were pretty much one room and there was another door. Jughead guessed it must lead to the toilet. Kurtz stoped in front of the bed.   
“Lay down”.

Whatever sense of calm Jughead had managed to obtain was immediately dissolved by those two words”  
“N-no”

Kurtz pushed him and stuck the gun right on his forehead.  
“Lay down, now”

“No! You better shoot me because the only way I will ever lay down in this bed is as a dead body!”

Kurtz smiled.  
“How brave, but as I said before, I don’t need you. The gargoyle king is generous to those who follow him. If you don’t do as I say, I will find someone who will. Maybe your little sister or maybe that little girlfriend of yours”

Betty. Jughead face lost all of its color. He felt a sick feeling on his stomach as he lay down. He knew it was too late for him. This would happen, no matter what he did to stop it. But he refused to let Betty be dragged into this mess. He gulped as Kurtz kneeled and pulled something from under the bed. A carbon box. Jughead didn’t want to see whatever Kurtz had in the box. He turned his eyes on the ceiling. He spotted a small spider in the corner of the wall. He tried to focus on that as he fought to calm his breathing.

He flinched when Kurtz grabbed both his hands and cuffed them to the head of the bed. Handcuffs. The freak had come prepared. Jughead felt as if he was going to throw up. He had been planning this for God knows how long. Jughead could not take this anymore. He let a sob escape the lump that had formed in his throat. Kurtz sat on the bed next to him. He watched in silence as the sound of Jughead’s erratic breathing filled the room. Then he cupped Jughead’s face in his hands and whipped the tears. When Jughead didn’t respond he moved the hand to his hair and moved in closer.

“You look so good like this. Helpless and weak” he moved his face even closer and Jughead took the opportunity and spit at him. Kurtz hissed and punched him right in the face. Jughead groaned but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t trust his voice. He just looked at Kurtz with so much hate in his eyes. Kurtz was certain that if the boy could move he would kill him with his bare hands.

He laughed. He really was a remarkable gift. He thought he could fight. Couldn’t he see he had already lost? He smiled. Of course he didn’t. He caressed the boy’s cheek again.  
‘If glares could kill…’ he thought. Let it be, he didn’t want to rush things. After all they had plenty of time ahead of them. He wanted to play with his prey first. 

“Don’t worry darling. I won’t take you tonight. I have some minor details to take care of after all. You think you’ll be alright here by yourself?”

“Good riddance” Jughead muttered.   
Kurtz just shrugged and walked out.

Jughead saw the door close and he heard it lock. A few moments later heard the engine of the car start and Kutz drove away. Then there was nothing. No sounds, no movement. Nothing. And Jughead felt overwhelmed by uncontrollable fear. Somehow the thought of Kutz gone scared him more than Kutz being there. 

He knew he would not go after Jellybean and Betty. Or else he would not have left him there. But where would he go then. Too much. It was too much. He felt like he could't breathe.

'Relax' he thought 'Going into shock won't do you any good' 

He had to calm down and then he had to think about his next move.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where FP has to explain himself and Betty finds Jellybean.

Fp walked up and down the small cell in anticipation. He wondered if Jughead had found Jellybean yet. Or if something happened to them. Fp shook his head. No. His children were both fighters. They could take care of themselves. Jughead and Gladys will finish the game and get Jellybean back, safe and sound. Then, they would figure out what would happen next. Fp finally sat on the small bed with a sigh.

“Damn it, Gladys!” he cursed under his breath.

Fp heard someone unlock the door and stood up again. Attorney McCoy walked in.

“You better have a good explanation Fp”

“Sierra-“

“You are Riverdale’s sheriff and you robbed Pop’s at gunpoint? Do you even know what kind of a mess this is?”

“I can explain”

“I’m listening” she said crossing her arms.

Fp sighed again.  
“You know how there’s a new drug dealer on Riverdale?”

Sierra nodded.

“Well, turns out it’s no one else than my beloved wife”

Sierra walked closer to the cell.  
“Wait, wait, wait. So all this time, Gladys was the new drug dealer?”

Fp nodded.

“Well that explains why fizzle rocks came back just as she arrived in town”

Fp buried his face in his hands.  
“I should’ve seen it coming” he mumbled.

“But that doesn’t explain what happened tonight”

Fp rubbed his face a couple times before answering.  
“Her cook, Kurtz, apparently lost went crazy, not that he was ever sane to begin with. He took Jellybean and then made us all play this cursed game” he sighed again, hating the way his voice broke and tried to collect himself.  
“Part of the game was robbing Pop’s” 

Now it was Sierra’s time to sigh.  
“God it’s like this game was made by devil himself” she said running a hand through her hair.

“Sierra look, I don’t care what happens to me as long as my kids are okay. If what I did helped save Jellybean then I don’t regret it. If it means I’m going to jail, then so be it”

Sierra smiled. “Oh, I won’t let that go that far”  
She opened her briefcase and pulled some papers and a pen.  
“So, the trial is tomorrow morning. Let’s practice what you are going to say”

Betty groaned as she dialed Jughead’s number again. She placed the phone against her ear and waited. 

One beep. 

Two beeps.

Three beeps.

She hang up by the ford. She was almost in front of her…his house. She walked up the stairs she had been walking since she was born. She knocked on the door she used to knock every day when she came back from school. But it wasn’t her house anymore. She had to stop thinking of it as if it were.  
No one answered. She glanced at the windows. The lights were open.  
“Jugherad? You in there?” 

She placed her ear against the door. There were footsteps. And then a key turned and the door opened to reveal a sobbing Jellybean.

“Betty” she said dropping herself into her arms and burying her face in her shoulder.That took her by surprise. She didn’t know Jellybean that much. But she knew she wasn’t one to cry or jump into someone’s arms like that.

“Jellybean hey, it’s okay, what’s wrong? Where’s Jughead?”

Jellybean tightened her grip when she heard the name. She let go of Betty and wiped the tears. Betty was at a loss. She needed to do something. She had to get her to calm down.  
“Let’s go inside” she proposed “Then you can tell me what happened”  
Jellybean nodded. Betty wrapped her left arm around her shoulders and guided her inside. Jellybean sat on the couch and Betty went to get her a glass of water. 

Jellybean wrapped her arms around herself. She had to get it together. She promised her mom that she would keep quiet but things had gotten out of hand. Betty could help. And she had to know the truth. Betty walked up to her and sat on the couch beside her. 

“Here” she said passing her the glass of water.

“Thanks” Jellybean replied and took a huge gulp. 

“So” Betty said placing a hand on Jellybeans knee reassuringly. “How about you tell me what happened”

Jellybean took a big breath before she started talking the best she could between the tears.  
“It was my fault. I could have stopped it. He took him because of me” she cried. Betty tightened her grip a little trying to keep her grounded.  
“Hey, it’s okay” Betty reassured “Start from the beginning”

Jellybean took a shaky breath.  
“Did you know about my mom? Did… did Jughead tell you?”

“That your Mom was the fizzle rocks dealer?”  
Jellybean nodded.  
“Yeah. I knew. Jughead told me”

Jellybean sniffed.  
“Um. Kurtz, he-he worked for her. But then-but then…he took him. Jughead”

Betty’s gasp made her look up at her. Jellybean didn’t know Betty that much. But she saw how her brother’s eyes were always shining when he was looking at her. And she always looked so sure, so confident. The fear just didn’t look right in Betty’s face. It made Jellybean feel even worse.

“I’m sorry Betty”

“T-Took him? What do you mean took him? Took him where?”

“I don’t know”

Betty felt like the word was spinning. She thought she would throw up. Jughead, he was in danger. Thougts kept running around her head too fast for her to make sense. She had to do something. Jughead could be hurt, or even worse. But first she had to calm down the sobbing girl in front of her.  
“Jellybean, hey, this is not your fault, alright? Kurtz, he is a psychopath. What he did had nothing to do with you”

“Yes, it does! Ricky told me”

“Ricky? Who’s Ricky?”

“H-he was supposed to be my friend. But he was working with Kutz. He told me everything. He said that if mom and I had never gotten back in town or if I had told Dad the truth none of this would have happened. I…I’m sorry Betty”

Betty sighed and hugged her and Jellybean wrapped her arms around her as well. She wasn’t crying anymore so that was something. This was a mess, a big freaking mess. She let go of Jellybean and got up.  
“Jellybean, here are your parents?”

“I-I don’t know. There was no one home when Ricky brought me”

Betty had to act fast. Every second she spent here was another second Jughead spent with Kutz. She grabbed Jellybean's coat and tossed it at her.  
“Okay” she said “Come on, we have to go. We need to find Archie and Veronica, and then we need to find your Dad”

Jelly bean nodded and they walked outside, in the dark of the night, to do just that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Jughead realizes just in how much danger he is really in and sacrifices himself a second time for the shake of the people he loves.

Jughead didn’t know exactly how much time he had been there. He had tried to get the cuffs to open but they wouldn’t budge. After he had worn himself out he just sat there cuffed in the bed waiting for Kurtz to come back from wherever he had gone. He used that time to try and think of his next move. If he could just find a working phone, he could call the police. Jughead never heard the car so he was surprised when he heard the door unlock and saw Kurtz walk in. He probably hid the car. Still, Jughead was relieved to see that he hadn’t brought Betty or Jellybean. Jughead took little comfort from the fact that they would remain out of this nightmare.

He untied him and Jughead got up. He sat up slowly but didn’t make any other movements nor did he say anything. Kurtz smiled.

“So, you’ve cooled down? Nice to see you are finally submitting. I was sure you’d try to knock me out or make a run for it the moment I untied you”  
Jughead huffed.

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t get far. I have no idea where I am. Any kind of civilization is miles away and I didn’t hear the car. You’ve probably parked it somewhere else and walked all the way here. It would be a matter of time until you found me and then my family would pay the price” 

Kurtz smiled. “Smart boy”

“You have a lot of time to think when you’re tied on a bed”

Jughead glared at him. He then turned his attention to his wrists where bruises had started to form from when he had tried to somehow break the handcuffs. Obviously, it hadn’t work.  
Kurtz took Jughead’s arms in his. Jughead pulled away and jumped off the bed. His legs were still sore from not moving them for so long so the moment he stood, he lost his balance and fell down. Kurtz leaned above him and tried to help him up but Jughead just pushed him. He tried to crawl away but Kurtz caught him by his ankles and drugged him back against the wall across the bed.  
Kurtz breathed heavily and the rage was all too evident on his face. Jughead pushed himself even more against the wall. He instantly knew he had messed up. He kept looking Kurtz right in the eye; his jaw was trembling as he bit down on his tongue. Anger, hate and fear consumed him completely and blocked out any other feeling or thought. It was almost as if Kutz was the predator who had trapped his pray and was ready to attack at any moment now. 

“Maybe you haven’t fully realized the situation you’re in” Kutz growled. 

He went in the kitchen and pulled a key out of his pocket to unlock the drawer. It was then that Jughead noticed that every single drawer or cabinet was locked. Kurtz pulled a second box out. This one bigger that the one from under the bed. He locked the drawer and sat on the bed throwing the box at Jughead who put his arms in front of him to protect himself from the blow. The contents of the box fell out and spread all over the floor. 

Jughead lowered his hand and looked in front of him. Papers? No. They were photos. Photos of him, of Betty, of Jellybean, of their parents, of Archie and Veronica. In some of the photos they were at school, in some others they were at Pop’s. There was even a photograph from inside his dad’s office. Some others were taken from inside his house or the old trailer. In some he was sleeping and in a couple he was completely naked. Never before in his life had Jughead felt so exposed. He understood what Kurtz was implying. He had been watching them for months. He followed them everywhere and they never suspected him. He had been in and out of their houses and no one ever noticed him. If he wanted, he could take Betty, or Jellybean or anyone else and no one would notice until it was too late.  
Jughead raised his eyes to look at Kurtz. Kurtz was smiling. He sat up and kneeled in front of Jughead. He ran his hand through his hair. Jughead didn’t pull away this time. He was frozen. 

“I have been planning this for more than you think. I searched for days to find this house. It was abandoned and remote. It was perfect. I fixed it and made it suitable for us. For you. All this is for you. I don’t want to hurt you, Jughead. Your life can be nice here. If you stop fighting and do as I say. You understand?”

Jughead’s last hope finally died. There was no way out. No course of action that would not lead to more people getting hurt. He closed his eyes. He felt lightheaded, his whole body ached. He had to make a decision. If those photos proved anything, it was that it was too late for him. But maybe, maybe he could prevent other people from getting hurt. He had sacrificed himself for others before but not like that. Riot night, he knew he would die. Now, he knew that if he did this he would have to live every agonizing moment, probably for a long time. At least until Kurtz gets bored of him. He swallowed the bile in his mouth and opened his eyes. He turned his head to look at Kurtz. He hadn’t moved an inch all this time. Then, he forced the words out while he still had the will.

“Yes, I understand”

The moment those words left his mouth he hated himself. Kurtz stood up and extended his hand for Jughead to take. Jughead hesitantly took it and let Kutz pick him up and sit him on the bed. He raised Jughead’s hand to his lips and kissed it and Jughead had to look away. He felt like he was going to throw up.

“Now that you have finally come to your senses, once and for all, how about we clean you up a bit?”

Jughead wanted to scream, he wanted to kill Kurtz. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t talk either. He felt that if he tried he would start crying. And he wouldn’t give him that kind of satisfaction. He resorted to just nodding. He stood up. His legs were not so sore anymore so he could walk just fine. That didn’t stop Kurtz from wrapping an arm around him. He pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door that was on the side of the room. They walked inside and Kurtz flipped the switch on the side of the wall.

The lights turned on and momentary blinded Jughead. He rubbed his eyes as Kurtz lead him to the bathtub and made him sit down. Jughead didn’t move. He knew what Kurtz wanted him to do. But he didn’t know if he could. Usually he was able to think. To analyze a situation and take the best possible decision. What kind of decision was he supposed to take now?  
Apparently Kurtz got tired of waiting and grabbed his shirt.

“NO!” Jughead moved away from Kurtz but froze when he saw the annoyance on his face. Fear made his blood ran cold.

“I-I mean…let me do it” he stuttered. Maybe he couldn’t do anything to save himself from what would happen next but at least that way he could maintain some kind of control. He knew it was a messed up thought. But the thought of that freak undressing him scared him and repulsed him more than doing it himself. He took his serpent Jacket off and let it fall on the floor. He took his shirt and his flannel off too. When the moment came to undo his pants he hesitated. He had to keep a sob from escaping his mouth but that didn’t stop his hands from shaking. Finally he shoved his pants down, taking the boxers with him. 

He quickly used his hands to cover himself. If Jughead felt exposed before, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. While Jughead was undressing Kurtz had been filling the bathtub. When it was filled, Kurtz stood up and motioned for Jughead to get in the bathtub. Jughead was trembling and not just from the cold. He lay down and brought his knees to his chin as an attempt to cover up. The warm water used to be something comforting but now it made him tense even more. He didn’t want this. He hated this with every fiber of his body. And he hated Kurtz even more. He hated how he had trapped him in this terrible situation. He hated that he didn’t have a choice. But he didn’t express any of it. He just sat there, curled into a ball, waiting for the inevitable.  
Kurtz took the soap and put a hand full on his hand and then started applying it on Jughead’s back. Then on his shoulders.

“Lay back” he ordered. Jughead studied his face for a moment. He noticed the hunger in his eyes and the satisfaction written all over his face. The son of a b*tch was enjoying it. He loved seeing him so broken, so vulnerable. He couldn’t take it anymore, he had to look away. As he lay back, he turned his eyes to the wall across the room. He didn’t move, didn’t cry. He just let Kurtz do whatever he wanted with him while he felt like a piece of trash. He hated himself for letting this happen; he hated himself for not fighting back. 

‘If you do anything he’ll go after your family, your friends, your girlfriend. You are doing this for them. You have to protect them. There’s nothing more important. It doesn’t matter what happens to you. As long as they’re safe’ 

He kept repeating those thoughts like a mantra. He hoped that it would make him feel better, that it would create some short of shield that would protect him from the rough hands that rubbed every inch of his body. But it didn’t work. And he could feel every bit of it.

Thankfully, Kurtz was content with just touching him and didn’t try anything else. When he was done he unlocked the cabinet and handed Jughead a blue towel. Jughead, thankful to have something to cover himself with took the towel and wrapped it tightly around his body. He stepped out of the bathtub and Kurtz pulled the plug. Jughead bended to grab his clothes when Kurtz placed a hand on his back making him freeze. 

“You won’t need those. I already have clothes for you. I’ll take those”

Jughead’s eyes widened.  
“Wait!” 

Kurtz turned around to face him the bundle of his clothes on his hands.

“Can I…can I keep the jacket? Please” Jughead loathed himself for having to beg. Maybe the jacket wasn’t worth it. But he alredy felt like Kurtz had killed a part of him. He didn’t want to lose another. 

Kurtz smiled. “No” he simply replied and Jughead’s mouth trembled but he didn’t say anything. Kurtz unlocked the bathroom door and walked outside and Jughead followed him. Kurtz placed the buddle of clothes on the kitchen table. Jughead just stood there, water dripping from his body making him feel cold. Kurtz walked to the closet attached to the wall beside the bed. He unlocked that door and pulled out a pair of grey pajamas. He placed them on the bed and grabbed a pair of boxers, a black flannel and a pair of socks.  
Jughead waited for Kurtz to leave but he didn’t move. He sighed when he realized that Kurtz wanted to see him get dressed. Hesitantly he un-wrapped the towel and set it on the bed. He quickly grabbed the boxers wanting to cover himself as quick as possible. As soon as he wore them he sat on the bed and wore the rest of the clothes. He avoided eye contact with Kurtz and at some point he had turned his attention on the closet, searching for something. 

Again it creped Jughead out just how much Kurtz had prepared. Kurtz closed the closet and locked it and sat on the bed beside Jughead. He had a hand behind his back. Jughead could actually hear his heart thumbing. What now? Hadn’t he put him through enough yet?

“Turn around” he ordered. 

Jughead took a sharp breath but did what he was told. He jumped a little when he felt something hard touch his head. This was it. Kurtz was going to kill him and-wait. The object ran through his hair, untangling the combs on his wet hair. A hairbrush. Kurtz was brushing his hair. The anger he felt at that moment almost consumed him. Anger and humiliation. So much fucking humiliation. Kurtz was treating him like a fucking doll. Keeping him locked in a dollhouse, bathing him, dressing him, and brushing his hair. He was a toy to him, an object. He clenched the covers with his hands and bit down on his tongue. At some point he could taste blood but he did not stop biting. It was the only thing that kept him from screaming.  
When Kurtz was done he looked at his watch. His smile grew and became unnatural and almost psychotic. 

“Time for bed”

Jughead’s breathing became even more unsteady but he didn’t offer any resistance. Kurtz lead him to the bathroom and unlocked the door and the cabinet. He handed Jughead a toothbrush and some toothpaste. He stood there and watched him. Jughead noticed that there wasn’t a mirror in the bathroom. He was kind of thankful for that. He didn’t think he wanted to see what he looked like. As if he were afraid Kurtz had somehow changed him and he wasn’t the same person he was yesterday. When he was done he washed the toothbrush on the sink and handed it to Kurtz. He placed it back and locked the cabinet again.

Then he walked up to the toilet and raised the lid. Jughead suddenly became all too aware that he hadn’t gone to the toilet for two days. Kurtz didn’t leave while he was peeing either so Jughead had to look on the other side of the room while he did it. When he was done he flushed the toilet and Kurtz walked up to him and took his hand. He led him to the bed and cuffed his hands again.

“Just to make sure you won’t try to kill me in my sleep. Oh and just in case you ever get any ideas, there is no way you can find the car and the nearest town is hours away. Those woods are dangerous. You’ll be dead by sunrise”  
Jughead knew Kurtz was right. There was no way he would make it without finding the car. And Kurtz was smart enough to hide it. Even if he did somehow manage to kill him he would have no idea where to even start looking.

Kurtz tucked him in. Went to lock the bathroom door and then unlocked the closet. While he changed clothes Jughead looked at the ceiling. The spider was still there, going on with its life, unaware of the nightmare taking place in the world bellow.

When Kurtz was done he turned off the lights and climbed into the bed. He wrapped his arms around Jughead and pressed himself against him. Jughead felt disgusted when he felt how Kurtz was obviously hard. He closed his eyes and wished that he wouldn’t try anything. That he would let him be. He had already gone through so much; he could be raped as well. He wouldn’t be able to take it.  
He waited frozen for something to happen but Kurtz didn’t move. Neither did Jughead. He waited and waited. After a long time Kurtz’s breathing deepened and small snores filled the room. At some point Kurtz moved and he wasn’t enveloping him anymore. Jughead left out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The breath turned into a sob. And another. And another. Before Jughead could stop himself he was breaking down. He buried his face in the pillow in an attempt to muffle the sounds and prayed that Kurtz wouldn’t wake up. The sobs shook his body as he let go of all the emotional baggage from today. 

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t go on like that. He wasn’t strong enough. He felt like he was loosing his mind. His father’s voice echoed in his head. It was something he had said to Archie before he left for Juvenile Detention.

“Your mind is the first thing that goes when you’re locked up. But if you can keep your head on straight, you can get through anything”

“Dad” he whispered “Dad what am I going to do?”

He turned the best he could with the handcuffs and looked at the ceiling. He had stopped crying, the last tears rolled down his face. His dad was right. He had to keep his mind straight first and foremost. Everything else he could figure it out. He would figure it out. He smiled a little and closed his eyes. He emptied his mind of all the skin-crawling memories of today. He let the happy ones fill him. Betty smiling at him early in the morning, eating at Pop’s with his friend, his dad taking him, his sister and his mom to the driven in. He let the happiest memories of his life take him away in a world of first kisses, old movies, burgers and milkshakes, laughter and love. So much love. There was only one thought in his mind before sleep took him away. He still had his memories. Memories of people who loved him. Memories of people he protected. And that was something Kurtz could never take away from him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where FP finds out his son is missing and everyone tries to come up with a plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Actually, I realized that I've never mentioned that this story is heavily inspired by one of my favorite books "Still Missing" by Chevy Stevens. It's not the same story, obviously, (mostly because my writing is really crappy and awkward) but if you read the book you will understand how greatly inspired I was from it. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is...go read the book. Seriously. It's...really good. If you like a good kidnap story....Anyway, on with the story!

The streets of Riverdale were strangely deserted as Jellybean and Betty ran through them. The cold winter wind was blowing making both of them clench their coats closer to their bodies. 

“Do you even know where they are?” Jellybean asked panting.

“I know Veronica has a short of event on her speakeasy. Something about collecting donations for the Ronsons” Betty replied. 

The lights of Pop’s could be seen in the distance. Somehow they both felt a little safer. As if the small Chock ‘lit shop was the only place in town that kept the darkness at bay. It almost felt like a second home, a safe paradise for all the troubled.They slowed down before they enter. When they opened the door, that little sense of safety they had, vanished. Right in front of the door were shattered glass and a few drops of blood.

“Betty, careful where you step. I took care of most of the blood and glass but here are still some shards left”

“Pop, God, what happened in here?”

Pop was about to answer until he spotted Jellybean standing behind Betty. She seemed exhausted and upset. Pop hesitated. He didn’t know whether or not she knew about what happened tonight but he definitely didn’t want to upset her.

“Pop?” Betty asked again when she got no answer.

“Um, maybe she shouldn’t hear this” he said looking at Jellybean. 

“Why?” Jellybean complained.

Betty looked at Pop and then at Jellybean. She had a bad feeling that this had something to do with Jughead and they were running out of time. If Jellybean was going to help they had to be in the same page.

“She can stay” Betty concluded.

“I don’t know-“

“Pop” Betty interrupted “She can handle it. Whatever it is”

Pop sighed.

“I kind of shot FP”

“WHAT?!” Both girl exclaimed.

“Why would you shoot my dad?!”

“Pop what happened?” Betty asked again.

“They robbed the place. Jughead, FP and Gladys. I don’t know why, if I knew it was them I wouldn’t have shot. FP is fine. I just got him in the hand. I didn’t call the police but one of the costumers did”  
“W-what?” Jellybean felt so confused. This was so messed up. “My dad is okay?”

Pop nodded. “I helped him stop the bleeding until the police came”

“Why would Jughead rob Pop’s ?” Betty said more to herself than Pop and Jellybean.

“I sincerely don’t know. But the poor boy looked scared out of his mind. FP was no different. He kept saying that Jellybean was in danger” he said as he got back at mopping the floor. Jellybean looked down. Another member of her family got hurt because of her. She felt a hand grasp her shoulder and she looked up at Betty.

“Hey, you with me?” she asked smiling.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay”

“Good, because we don’t have much time and I need to you at the top of your game. Come on”

Jellybean nodded and they both entered La Bonne Nuit. Jellybean couldn’t help but remember her father’s birthday. They were all so happy then. Why couldn’t they have remained like that? Her mom had said that what they were doing would help the family, so things wouldn’t be like last time. But now? What good had come out of it? 

“Veronica!” Betty exclaimed.

Veronica was behind the counter and talking with Josie. 

“Hey Betty!” she said casually. She had no idea what was happening. Jellybean felt the urge to yell at her. But she didn’t it wasn’t her fault that her brother was taken. Josie smiled when she saw them and walked closer to Betty.

“Betty, you’ll never guess what happened tonight. My dad came and-“ 

“What’s wrong?” Veronica said when she saw how tears had started to form in Betty’s eyes.

“Betty…” Josie started saying as Veronica walked up to her. Jellybean was frozen. Betty hadn’t cried before. She looked so sure and determined. Betty sobbed and dropped herself into Veronica’s arms. 

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Veronica tried to calm her down by rubbing her back.

Betty tried to talk through the sobbing. “J-Jughead’s gone!”

Josie had walked up to them but seemed unsure of what to do. 

“Gone, what do you mean gone?” Veronica asked confused. She looked at Jellybean who looked like she was about to start crying as well.

“H-He *sob* Kurtz, he-he took him”

Veronica pushed Betty just enough to look at her as Josie gasped in shock.

“Wait, wait, wait. You mean like…kidnapped him?”

Betty nodded. Veronica hugged her again. Josie’s phone started ringing startling all of them.

“It’s my mom” she said “I- I have to get it”

Veronica and Betty let go and nodded. Betty whipped her tears and Veronica went behind the counter.

“Should I call the police?” Veronica asked taking her phone. Jellybean almost smacked herself for not doing it earlier. She wondered why Betty hadn’t. 

She looked at Betty and Betty looked at Jellybean as she asked her the silent question. Jellybean understood. By calling the police, it would bring attention to their family and possibly expose their mother. 

Jellybean hesitated for a moment.

‘Screw it’ she thought ‘Jughead’s more important. Mom will understand’ At least she hopped she would. Jellybean looked at Veronica who was just standing there, phone in her hand. She nodded at her and silently watched as dialed ‘911’.

Betty placed a hand in Jellybean shoulder. Jellybean understood that was her way of saying ‘thank you’ and ‘it’s going to be okay’. Jellybean almost felt like believing her.  
“Yes, hi, I would like to report a kidnap…”  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
FP looked at the clock on the wall across the room. 3 a.m. Seven hours until the trial. He hadn’t gotten a call from Jughead or Gladys yet. Worry had almost completely consumed him. He looked at the papers in his hand. Sierra had told him to memorize it, but it was almost impossible for him to concentrate. He kept reading the words that didn’t make any sense. They were just word and words were useless when someone you love is in danger.

The more time passed without any news the more scenarios FP imagined of what had happened. Each worse than the other. He had tried to calm himself.

‘You shouldn’t think like that’ he thought ‘They’ll be okay, you’ll see. They probably haven’t found her yet. Sooner or later they’ll call to tell you that they found her” 

But it hadn’t worked. It didn’t help that FP was left alone with his thought either. Sierra had left the room to call her daughter and tell her not to wait up for her. It must have been a long phone call because that was about an hour ago. FP tried to turn his attention on the papers again, as an attempt to distract his mind from the terrible thoughts that it conjured up.  
That was when Sierra walked through the door looking more panicked than FP had ever seen her. She cleared her throat as she walked up to the cell.

“An officer is coming to release you” she said. FP almost lost it. The papers fell from his hand as he shot up from the bed and grasped the bars of the cell.

“What do you mean? Why?”

Sierra hesitated before answering.

“I-I made some phone calls. I’ve cleared everything with the judge. Said you were under duress”

FP huffed. That was not a lie. Still, he couldn’t help but guess that his early release came with strings.

“Not that I don’t appreciate it? But why would they let it drop just like that? With a phone call” 

Sierra looked down and didn’t speak for a while.

“What’s wrong?” FP asked a little frustrated. He had spent the entire night worrying out of his mind and he couldn’t have another thing to worry about. Sierra took a deep breath before looking FP in the eyes. FP quickly realized that whatever was about to come, he wouldn’t like it.

“Maybe you need to sit down for this” she proposed but FP just shook his head. He felt dizzy and his body kept feeling colder and colder.  
“I when called Josie, she and the girls and Jellybean-“

“Jellybean’s okay?” FP asked as he worry suddenly turned into hope. 

Sierra nodded and FP felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulder. He let out a breath he had been holding all night. He raised an eyebrow when he saw Sierra’s terrified face.  
“What?” he asked “Is my daughter hurt?”

“N-No” Sierra stuttered “But the girls called the police-“

“The police? What-“ The worry and the terror started filling FP again.If Jellybean was okay, that meant…

“Jughead. FP he’s missing”

FP didn’t say anything. He just stood there, mouth half opened as he tried to comprehend what Sierra had just said. He felt like time had stop. There was deadly silence. Sierra was talking, her lips were moving but the only thing FP could hear was the ringing on his ears. He snapped out of it, when the door of the cell opened. An officer had unlocked it. FP barely noticed him.  
He ran out, Sierra ran behind him. 

“FP wait!”Sierra shouted. FP ignored her. When he was out of the station he started looking for his car. He face palmed as he realized it wasn’t there. Of course it wasn’t there, a few hours ago he was arrested. 

Sierra walked up to him panting.

“FP-“

Fp turned and grasped Sierra from her shoulders making her gasp.

“Do they know where he is? Kurtz?”

Sierra shook her head. “They- they think he left town. Your car is missing”

FP let go of her and buried his face in his hands, then he brushed the loose strands of hair as he tried to take deep breaths. At least when Jellybean was taken they had Kurtz, they had a lead. Now, his son could be anywhere. Who knew how long he had been missing before anyone noticed. What if he was hurt? What if-

Sierra shook him out of his thoughts before he could think the worst by shaking his shoulder.

“The girls are waiting at Pop’s. I can drive you”

FP nodded. The car ride must have lasted at least 10 minutes but FP swore it was the longest car ride of his entire life. The moment the car stopped FP shot out and ran into the dinner. He opened the door with such force it hit the wall and everyone turned to look at him. Josie saw him and raan out to meet her mother.

“FP what-“ Pop had started to say until Betty and Jellybean walked out of La Bonne Nuit with two police men. They all stopped when they saw him.

“Dad!” Jellybean yelled as she ran into him and hugged him as tight as she could. FP squeezed her just as tight with his uninjured hand. He closed his eyes as he held his daughter. She was okay, she was alive.

“Dad I’m sorry, if I had told you about mom none of this would have happened. Jellybean mumbled as she buried her face on his shoulder. FP just shook his head. 

“No, sweetheart, no. This isn’t your fault. I promise everything is going to be okay” he said as he let her go. He turned to the officers.

The officer cleared his throat.

“Mr. Jones, a word in private” he said as he walked back in La Bonne Nuit.

FP nodded as he followed the officer, Jellybean and Betty were walking beside him.

“Small warning Mr. Jones, he’s not here to help” Betty whispered angrily.

“She’s right” Jellybean said.

FP raised both his eyebrows but didn’t question it. Veronica was sitting on a table, arms crossed. Betty went and sat beside her and Jellybean followed them.

“So?” FP asked hoping for some damn good news tonight. Maybe they know where he is, or where he’s going and this nightmare will be over. But what the officer said caught him completely off guard.

“Like I said to Miss Cooper here, it is possible that your son went with his ‘captor’ willingly?”

“And like I told you, there’s no way!” Betty snapped back at him.

“What are you talking about?” FP growled at the officer. 

The officer just rolled his eyes. His face, his tone, everything showed that he didn’t take the matter seriously.

“What I mean is that it is possible they both played a prank on you with the whole GnG nonsense just so they could ran away and get high” 

FP felt something inside him snap as he grabbed the man by his collar and hit him in the wall.

“Hey, watch it!” he heard Veronica say but he ignored her.

“What the hell are you doing?” the officer yelled. The other officer didn’t move. She looked at her partner and decided that this was his fight to give. He was a jerk anyways.

“You listen to me bastard. My son is not a junkie”

The officer huffed.

“That’s what all the parents say. But I know kids like your son. Raised on the wrong side of the tracks, with an alcoholic father and a drug dealer mother. I mean, God, he robbed a diner today! I guess it was only a matter of time before he followed your path” the officer growled back.

FP wished his other hand wasn’t injured so he could punch that son of a b*tch. Since he couldn’t he just resulted in hitting him against the wall again.

“Mr. Jones don’t. He’s not worth it. We need to concentrate on finding Jughead. The more time that passes the more difficult it would be. They could be anywhere by now” Betty pleaded. FP groaned and the officer go.

“Well, I suspect our work here is done. There are more important cases that we need to look into. Real cases” he said emphasizing in 'real', straightening his tie and walking away. The other officer hesitated. She looked at FP who looked like a mess.

“I am so sorry” she said before walking away as well.

FP sat on the table with the girls.

“Who the hell were these guys? I swear I’ve never seen them in the station”

“They’re not from here” Betty said. 

“We thought that if we brought someone from the outside, someone more experienced, it would bring better results. Guess how that turned out” Veronica said sighing. “I called Archie right before you walked in. He is on his way”

FP nodded. “Gladys?” he asked.

“Hospital” Betty simply replied.

“Okay” FP said sitting up. “Veronica, as soon as Archie gets here I want you two to look after Jellybean. Betty you’re coming with me. I’ll take all the officers I can. We are going on a man hunt”

They all nodded. 

“I can call some others too, to help you with the search. If we get the entire town searching then maybe…” Veronica suggested and FP nodded.

“I have some money on the side” he said to himself “I can hire a private investigator. He’s gonna help more than that bastard” he said referring to the officer. He and Betty got up.

“Dad?” Jellybean asked “Is Jughead going to be okay?”

FP sighed, how was he supposed to calm her down when he felt like the worst father in the world? How was he supposed to tell her that everything would turn out fine when he was scared out of his mind?

He kneeled down in front of her and forced a smile. “Your brother is a fighter. And I promise I will do anything I can and more to find him. I won’t rest until he’s home"  
'One way or another' he thought but didn't say it out loud. Never out loud

Jellybean smiled and nodded. FP and Betty took off for the station and Jellybean and Veronica stayed back to wait for Archie.

“Do you think he’ll be okay? My brother?” he asked her.

Veronica looked at her for a little while without saying anything. Then she got up and went behind the counter to start washing the glasses.

“I think your brother is too stubborn to die” she replied.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The search lasted all night and the entire next day. The entire town was searching the woods, they called the other towns around Riverdale as well, everyone was looking for Jughead but he was nowhere to be found. On the second day, the private investigator FP hired and several policemen from all around the area agreed that it was completely useless. It had been two days and Kurtz could be out of the country. Jughead could be dead by now. FP and the others refused to believe it.

The policemen reassured him that they would keep looking but FP knew that was a lie. The private investigator suggested that he tried to talk to some other drug dealers that he knew and some junkies as well, to try and see if anyone knew Kurtz. Betty thought of interrogating the gargoyles that were now members of the Serpents; see if they knew about any places where Kurtz could have taken Jughead. FP agreed.

And there he was now, in his sheriff suit, inside the interrogation room with one of the gargoyles in front of him. He had already tried two other gargoyles who knew nothing but he refused to lose hope. 

“When you were running with Kurtz, did he ever mention anything about my son?”

The gargoyle hesitated before nodding.

“If I tell you, you have to promise that you won’t tell him I rated him out.That guy is nuts”

FP nodded. He tried to keep his emotions in check. He tried not to be too hopeful. But after two days of horror he so desperately needed something, anything helpful.

“Ever since he saw Jughead, the night he tried to recruit us, he was…obsessed. Sometimes I saw him following Jughead around town, taking pictures. He…he has some of his hair in a plastic bag”

FP felt his heart stop. That freak was watching them, watching his son. He never noticed. He has always been so sure that Jughead would always be able to look after himself that he didn’t even considered looking after him. He had failed.

“Anything…anything else?” FP asked. He really didn’t want to know. But he had to. He had to know. He had to know everything that he couldn’t protect his son from. He had to know the extent of his failure.

The gargoyle nodded.

“He kept calling Jughead ‘a gift from the king’. He said that the fateful night, he would receive his gift and take him to ‘the fort’. He never told me where the fort was, or what it was. That’s-that’s all I know”

“Thank you, you can go” FP said. He needed to think. ‘A gift from the king’, ‘the fateful night’, ‘the fort’. FP punched the table. The bastard had planned this. It had never been about Jellybean. The game, it was a trap, a way to divide them, distract them, just so he could take his son. And he felt right into it. He punched the table again and his knuckles started bleeding.

‘Good’ he thought ‘I deserve it’

He took his wallet out and looked at the photo inside of it. Jughead and Jellybean, when they were little, hugging in front of the drive in. FP felt a tear roll down his face as he thought of what Jughead could be going through right now. 

“I’m sorry” he whispered. “I am so sorry I couldn’t protect you” 

He put his wallet back in his pocket and walked out. He silently made his way to his office where Betty was waiting.

“You got them?” he asked.

Betty placed the ‘missing’ fliers of Jughead on FP’s desk. FP nodded. 

“I want this fliers all over the town and descriptions of Kurtz on all the news. I’ve already reported my car stolen. When he makes a move we'll be ready"

It was Betty’s time to nod. 

“We’ll find that bastard and make him pay” she said.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Jughead is hurt in the worst way possible.

When Jughead woke up the next morning, he was confused. The mattress was different. It was more harsh and cold than his. When he opened his eyes he shot up as he almost lost it. And then he remembered the events of last night. He quickly realized that he wasn’t tied up anymore. He looked around. Kurtz was nowhere to be found. He waited a little more. The only sounds he could hear were the birds outside. Jughead slowly pulled his legs out of the blanket and on the floor. As he stood up he felt a little dizzy. The dizziness along with his aching stomach reminded him that he had eaten nothing since Kurt had brought him here. He had no idea how long ago that was. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of days. It felt like a lot more. He had no way of telling the time since Kurtz was the only one with a watch. And he would die before he asked from Kurtz to tell him the time. 

He slowly made his way to the kitchen. The bundle of his clothes was gone from the table. Kurtz had probably taken it with him. Jughead decided to use this ‘alone time’ to his advantage. He tried to open every drawer and every door in the cabin. But none of them would budge. Not in the kitchen, not the closet, not the toilet. Even the fridge had a lock in it. Frustrated and desperate he threw himself on the door trying to tear it down but to no avail. He let himself sink and he leaned against the door. His shoulder hurt from hitting it against the hard metal.   
He felt a cold breeze coming from somewhere in the floor. He looked down to see a bright light coming from under the door. He lay down and tried to look outside but the light blinded him. The house had no windows and the lighting was extremely low. It just struck Jughead that he hadn’t seen the light of the sun in such a long time. At least now he knew it was day time. He suddenly wanted to do something with this information. He made his way to the nightstand beside his side of the bed. He paused.

‘Since when do I have a side on the bed?’ he wondered disgusted with himself for thinking like that. ‘Is that what it takes to break me? A couple of days in a cabin in the woods?’ 

He tried to justify his thought. 

‘This is where he tied me when he brought me here. And this is where he tied me last night too. So for him this is my side on the bed’ 

The thought only managed to disgusts him more. 

‘Listen to yourself! His side of the bed, your side of the bed. He’s your kidnaper not your roommate’ 

He thought back on when he and Betty would go to the library together. They would read articles for other cases. Sometimes he would go by himself. It was good for his stories. More than once he came across cases of people who were abducted and had developed some kid of sympathy or feelings for their abductors. It was called Stockholm syndrome. He doubted that was the case since the only feeling that Jughead had linked with Kurtz was hate. But just in case he made a pact to kill himse the moment he realized he was developing any kind of positive feelings for Kurtz.

He grabbed the nightstand and tried to move it. For a moment he thought of using it as a battering ram but he shook that thought away. It was too heavy for some damn reason. Still he was able to move it just enough to see the backside. With his nail he managed to carve a small line, barely noticeable. He pushed it back on its place. It would be good to keep count of the days. That way he would manage to maintain some sense of time. He sat on the bed thinking back on the route they took to get here. It had taken them all night and half a day. He could not remember anything specific about the road. Nothing helpful at least. He knew that he was probably four to five hours away from the last town he saw on their way up. 

Still it would be better to try and get there than just stay here. Maybe Kurtz was right and he would die on the way but dying seemed more appealing.

‘No’ he thought ‘He’ll go after your family’ he reminded himself. 

The night they left Riverdale…Kurtz had a gun. If he could find the gun…was he really capable of doing it? He remembered that one night he went to his father’s sheriff office and saw the gun placed on the desk. FP had noticed Jughead’s curiosity.

“Don’t get any ideas boy” he had said “It’s not a switchblade Jug. This weapon can determine someone’s life and death. All it takes is a pull of a trigger and nothing will be the same. I never want to see you holding one, you hear boy?” 

Jughead had nodded. Now he couldn’t help but wonder what his dad would tell him to do in this situation. He didn’t reject the idea of killing Kurtz. It seemed like it was the only way. Still he put it aside for now. He had no idea where Kurtz was keeping it. Maybe in one of the locked drawers. Maybe he should focus on the keys instead. Maybe he could knock Kurtz out and lock him in the house or something. Then he could find the car or even hitchhike. Even getting to a stranger’s car seemed better than staying here.

It was worth a try. He went back to the door and he stood beside it. As he waited he noticed that he could her nothing now. Not even the birds. His own breathing sounded too loud and if he focused he could hear his heartbeat. It creeped him out a bit. His nerves were already tense from the last couple days. He waited there for quite some time. He held his breath when eventually he heard footsteps coming his way. He heard keys jingle and turn on the lock. 

The moment the door opened and Kurtz stepped a foot in Jughead tackled him and punched him as hard as he could. He was surprised to see that Kurtz hadn’t passed out. Kurtz used the small moment of surprise to throw him off him. Jughead snapped out of it and tried to punch Kurtz again. They wrestled but Jughead was growing tired. He hadn’t eaten and he had a minimum amount of water. He was growing desperate and Kurtz was getting more determined. Then the adrenaline must have kicked in because Jughead managed to keep Kurtz down with one hand and he used the other to search for the keys. He grabbed them but the moment he tried to pull them he felt a sting on his neck. He suddenly stopped as a feeling of numbness started to spread. He touched his neck to pull the needle out. Kurtz stopped fighting and let him go. His mind was getting foggy. He couldn’t think why Kurtz had let him go. He got up and tried to walk to the door.

After three steps he fell on his knees and dropped the keys on the ground. As he dropped he realized he couldn’t move. His mind was clearing up but it was losing control of every part of his body. In the corner of his eye he could see Kurtz standing up. He picked the keys from where they had fallen close to Jughead. Then he turned to the boy. He smiled as he caressed his face.  
“I thought you and I had an agreement” he said “Why do you make my hurt you?” he said gathering Jughead in his arms. Jughead couldn’t move, couldn’t talk. He was trapped in his own body. Kurtz picked him up and laid him on the bed.

Jughead couldn’t say anything. His heartbeat was so loud it almost blocked everything else. He immediately regretted his attempt to escape. He should’ve been expecting it would fail. Kurtz sighed. He bended down and pulled the box with the pictures from under the bed. He turned it upside down and emptied it on the bed. He picked four photos. One of Betty, one of Jellybean, one of Archie and one of Veronica. He picked the rest of the photos and carefully placed them in the box again. Jughead felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Kurtz ad warned him what would happen if he resisted. Jughead had messed up. Tears rolled down his face and sobs shook his body. Now Kurtz would plant a bullet between his eyes and take someone Jughead loved.  
Kurtz put his hand under his chin as he tilted Jughead’s face, forcing him to look at him. With his eyes he tried to beg him, to tell him that he wouldn’t try to leave again, that he would do everything he had to. As long as Kurtz stayed the hell away from his family. Kurtz shook his head.

“See how scared I can make you feel with a small injection and some photos?” Jughead knew closed his eyes as more tears fell. Kurtz wasn’t going after his family. He was just scaring him to death.  
Kurtz put the four photos he had picked back on the box, closing it and placing it back, under the bed. 

“Don’t worry about the injection. It’s nothing harmful. Just something special I made for you. Just in case you got any ideas. Guess I was right” Jughead gulped.   
“The effect will pass in a couple of minutes. I was really careful with the dosage. So, while I have your attention, we are going to set some rules. Blink if you understand”  
Jughead blinked. He did understand. There was no way out. Kurtz smiled and petted his hair.

“Okay” he said “From now on you will do everything I tell you to. You will wear the clothes I give you, eat the food I make and do the chores I tell you. Understand?” Jughead blinked again.  
“I have complete control of the house and everything that exists within it. Which means that you can’t use the toilet, can’t take a bath or shower, can’t eat, can’t dress unless I say so. After all, I have the keys” He said jingling the keys in front of Jughead’s face. The effects of the injection were wearing off and he nodded this time. 

“You can never go outside. Not unless I think you’ve earned it and I will be supervising you the entire time”  
Jughead nodded again. There wasn’t much else he could do at this point.  
Kurtz’s smile grew.   
“As for that” he said cupping Jughead through his pants. Jughead bit his tongue in an attempt to silence the scream. “We will deal with it later” he said getting up and going to the closet, leaving a set of clothes for him to wear on the bed and then going to the kitchen. The sounds of keys jingling and locks unlocking was muffled by Jughead’s thoughts. Tear were running like waterfalls now. He hated this. He hated being so helpless, so exposed, laid on a bed, barely being able to move while a psycho invaded his body. 

He tried to move. He felt weird and a little sore but he was able to sit up. He took the clothes Kurtz gave him and started changing. He gazed at Kurtz who was warming something up in a pot. The thought of food made his stomach ache. He turned his gaze to the spider. He didn’t know why he kept doing that. Maybe because it was the only other living thing in this house except from Kurtz and him. Maybe because it wouldn’t hurt him, but Kurtz would.

He heard the familiar sound of plates being set and chairs being pulled.

“Food’s ready” he heard him say. He turned his head to look at Kurtz waiting in front of the table. Jughead had to lean on the wall to support himself as he walked to the kitchen with shaky legs. Kurt helped him sit and Jughead didn’t say a word. He stared at the plate in front of him. Meat. Nothing else. Just boiled meat. It wasn’t a generous amount either. It was just enough to quiet down Jughead’s stomach. The forks and knives were plastic. The bastard had thought of everything.

“How is your food?” he heard Kurtz ask. He didn’t look up. What was he supposed to say? 

“Jughead, I asked you how your food was.” Kurtz said more seriously, more like he was threatening him. Jughead swallowed the bite he had taken and hated himself for the words that he formed.

“It’s really good, thank you” he said between gritted teeth and vision blurred from the tears and the anger. Apparently it was good enough for Kurtz who smiled and turned his attention to his food.

Jughead took a huge sip from the glass of water Kurtz had left beside his plate. 

“Would you like some more water?” Kurtz asked. Jughead nodded hating himself even more by the second.

“What’s the magic word?” Kurtz was ridiculing him, humiliating him. He was testing him. And Jughead couldn’t do anything but succumb to the pressure.

“Please?” Jughead cringed with how broken he sounded. His own voice was strange and twisted and wrong. Kurtz refilled his glass and Jughead was grateful for the water but there were no words that could describe his hatred for Kurtz at that moment. Still, maybe he could use this situation to his advantage, so as to learn some things.

“Kurtz?” Jughead asked and Kurtz looked at him pleasantly surprised that his gift decided to be the one to start a conversation. He figured he must have finally scared him enough to give up.

“Yes, my darling?” Jughead tightened his hands around the plastic fork at the sound of the nickname, but it didn’t let it discourage him.

“How long have I been here?”

“Three days” Kurtz simply answered. Jughead made a mental note to add two more lines behind the nightstand. 

“Where are we?”

“You don’t need to know that” Kurtz said taking another bite. Jughead gave it one more try.

“I would really like to know where I’ll be living from now on”

Kurtz smiled. “Well that’s very easy, you’ll be living with me” Jughead decided that he wouldn’t be able to crack him farther than that. It was best not to test his luck.

“Where were you this morning?” he asked. Kurtz hummed. 

“Just misleading the police and your father” Jughead felt his face lose its color.

“What do you mean?” Kurtz smiled laying back on his chair.

“I dumped your clothes close to a river on the opposite direction from the fort. All we have to do is wait until someone finds them and everyone will be looking for you in the wrong places. After a while they’ll lose hope and just give up. Until then, we’ll just have to lay low” Kurtz said. Jughead suddenly lost his appetite. Kurtz was looking at him expectantly and Jughead realized what he wanted. This was another test, to see his reaction. Jughead cursed in his mind and then replied.

“That’s really clever” it sounded fake, even in his own ears and he was sure Kurtz could tell that he didn’t mean it. He was sure that Kurtz knew how much this was hurting him, and he enjoyed every moment of it. 

“Now, eat up” he said. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us” he said and winked. Jughead almost choke. He knew what Kurtz meant. He knew what he would have to do. Or, more accurately, he knew what he would have to let Kurtz do. He tried to force back the tears as he ate incredibly slowly for he knew what would happen when he was done.

Still, at some point he had eaten and the very last bite and Kurtz took his plate and told him wait for him on the bed. Jughead made his way to the bed slowly, feeling like he was walking to his own execution. Maybe because it was kind of true. In a sense Kurtz would kill another part of him, and Jughead feared that he would never be able to make that piece of himself come back. 

Kurtz finished htrowing the knives and forks away and washing the pot, the plates and the glasses. A little too soon, Jughed thought. He walked up to Jughead with a sick expression on his face. He sat on the bed just a few inches away from Jughead.

“Take your clothes off” It wasn’t a question. It was a threat.

“I don’t want to” Jughead said.

“You have to”

Jughead thought hard. He had to find a way out of this, postpone it at the very least.

“I just put those on” he tried.

“It doesn’t matter” Kurtz said growing restless.

“Maybe we should wait. Get to know each other better. It’ll be nicer that wa-“

“I know you well enough. Besides, I’m done waiting”

Jughead knew there was nothing he could do. With trembling hands he took off the grey T-shirt Kurtz had given him. He took the flannel off too and set them on the bed. He started folding them so as to win some time. But Kurtz just grabbed them and tossed them violently on the other side of the room. Jughead gulped as he started unbuttoning the black pants, and ease them down his thighs slipping his legs out of them. 

When it was time for the boxers Jughead hesitated. If he did this there would be no turning back. But what other choice did he have? Kurtz could just paralyze him and get what he wants anyway. Maybe it would be better. That way he wouldn’t feel it when it happened. He would be able to just look away and pretend it wasn’t even happening. That it was just a bad dream. But before he could beg Kurtz to do it, Kurtz grabbed the boxers and forced them off grabbing Jughead’s legs raising them high to take them off, causing Jughead to yelp in surprise.

“Stay there. Don’t move” he ordered and Jughead did. He looked away from Kurtz as he started undressing himself. The spider was still there. It hadn’t left. It could have left but it didn’t. Jughead wondered if it knew what was happening. He felt hands grabbing him but he refused to look. Kurtz turned him around so he was facing the pillow. Jughead buried his face in it.

‘This isn’t happening’ he kept telling himself ‘This isn’t happening’

But it was happening and Jughead had to use the pillow to muffle the screaming and the sobbing. He did his best to concentrate on anything else but the pain was making it impossible for him. All he could do was scream and pray as the last part of his self was being slowly killed. Kurtz kept at it for a long time. Or maybe not. Jughead didn’t know for sure. It felt like a century to him. The bastard was enjoying himself and he made sure that Jughead knew.

‘You feel so good’

‘I’ve been waiting for so long’

‘You’re my little gift. Mine and no one else’s’

Jughead kept screaming hoping to silence Kurtz’s whispers. It didn’t work and all those things echoed in his mind mixing with his other thought making them all lose their meaning. There was only one thing that made sense at the moment. 

‘You are disgusting’ Jughead thought.

When Kurtz was finally done, he pulled out with a satisfying sound. Jughead wanted to dip himself in acid. He felt like this was the only way for him to clean himself. He kept sobbing as Kutz wrapped his arms around him.

“See? That wasn’t so bad”

‘Screw you’ Jughead thought.

“No, i-it wasn’t so bad” is what he answered.

Kurtz hummed.

“C-can I have a bath?” Jughead asked. Kurtz looked at him.

“No. It’s barely noon. You’ll have a bath at night” he replied. Jughead bit his cheek to silence his whimper. He could feel blood and semen dripping from his legs. He couldn’t go the entire day like this.

“Can I…can I at least get dressed?” He just wanted Kurtz to stop touching him. 

Kurtz thought a little. “Sure” he said “But if you do, then you will have to start with your chores”

Jughead nodded. The pain was immense but it wasn’t unbearable and he preferred to do anything but stay in Kurtz’s hug. Kurtz let him go and he sat up. He felt a sharp pain in his back and he flinched. Kutz smiled. He was waiting for Jughead to give up and lay back down with him. But Jughead refused to stop. He put the clothes back on and he winced in pan when he had to put the underwear and pants back up. As he sat up his knees where shaking him and his insides were killing him. Still, he steadied himself in the wall and looked at Kurtz expectantly. 

Kurtz smiled more. He was enjoying this so much. It was all a game to him. And he was dying to know how much Jughead could last before his will was shattered. Kurtz got up and walked to the kitchen. He unlocked the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a plastic bucket and a towel. He filled to bucket with warm water and nothing else. Then he passed it and the towel to Lughead who was barely holding himself up.

“Start by cleaning. I want you to go through every surface. I will be supervising to make sure you don’t miss anything. Then you can make the bed” he said.  
Jughead was sure that the only reason he wanted to supervise was to see him suffer as he tried to clean the entire cabin after just being…He didn’t want to say it. As he looked around at the cabin it suddenly looked so much bigger to him.

“You can start with the floors” Kurtz proposed knowing full well that Jughead would have to bend down to do it. Jughead hesitated for a moment. Then he set the bucket down and slowly he got down on his knees wincing again. But he didn’t say anything, didn’t complain. 

Most of the day, he spent like that. Whenever the water would get even a little dirty Kurtz would make him get up and go change it, enjoying Jughead’s expression of pain in the meanwhile. After the floors he had to do the furniture, the kitchen and then the bathroom. By the time he was done he was exhausted, sweating and breathing heavily. The pain had gotten worse but Jughead didn’t care. He’d rather die that lay back down with Kurtz.

He didn’t know exactly how long he had been cleaning, but it must have been a while. Due to the pain he moved a lot slower and it didn’t help that Kurtz was constantly ordering him to change the water. Afterwards Kurtz made him to wash the bucket and the towel three times each with just warm water. While Kurtz was putting the bucket away, he hadn’t let Jughead sit down. Jughead looked at the door to see that the light coming from under it was now extremely dim. 

‘It’s close to sunset’ he thought ‘It took a lot longer than I thought’

Kurtz locked the cabinet and then pointed at the bed.

“Go on” he said. Jughead was so exhausted that even the covers of the bed seemed too heavy. Kurtz made him make the bed at least five times, always finding something he didn’t like and making Jughead start all over again. When he was done he was shaking, he looked like he was about to collapse. Kurtz smiled.

“Bath time!” he said happily as he unlocked the bathroom door. Jughead sighed in relief. He could still feel all the places Kurtz had touched or penetrated. It made him want to rub his skin with soap until he bled. He walked in and took his clothes off. He didn’t even care that Kurtz was watching him, he just wanted to wash every last piece of Kurtz off his body.

Kurtz helped him in the bathtub and just like yesterday he gave Jughead a bath. He rubbed his entire body and Jughead did his best to stay still. Last thing he needed was to trigger Kurtz somehow. He welcomed the hot water and he felt like it created a shield around him. Kurtz was touching him but all the filthiness was washed off by the water. When Kurtz went to fetch the towel, Jughead rubbed his body quickly one last time. He didn’t feel all the way clean. Maybe he would never feel clean again but he certainly felt better than before. 

Kurtz didn’t hand him the towel, but insisted that Jughead let him dry him. Jughead couldn’t do anything so he just stood there, shaking from the cold, the pain and the sorrow as Kurtz, once again, touched every inch of his body. Afterwards he made Jughead wash the clothes he was wearing since the pants were now soaked in blood. Kurtz again told him to use just warm water so it took him a while to get the blood stain out. He still didn’t manage to get it all the way but the pants were black so it wasn’t really visible. Maybe this is why Kurtz picked them. When he was finally done Kurtz looked at his watch.

“I need to go outside for a sec” he said “You can lie down if you want” he said as he walked out, locking the door behind him.

Jughead pretty much collapsed on the bed. He moved the nightstand with all the power he had left and then carved two more lines before pushing it back on its pace. He buried his face on the pillow and closed his eyes. Betty’s image popped in his mind. They were lying on the couch and she was secured in his arms and he was happy. So happy. Why couldn’t he ever remain happy? He managed to relax enough to slip in that state between sleep and awareness.

He didn’t know how much time passed but he heard the door unlock and lock again, he noticed the house getting darker and someone pulling him in his arms. The arms felt threatening, filthy and wrong but Jughead was too tired to ask Kurtz to go away. He finally let go and allowed the waves of exhaustion to pull him under a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where FP and Betty find a new lead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people, I am back with another chapter!

FP’s heart was pounding in his chest as he drove all the way to Greendale. Betty was sitting quietly on the back of the cruiser looking outside the window. For the first time in three days they finally had a lead. A couple that had gone for a picnic close to the river found clothes dumped close to some rocks. 

Now FP was driving all the way to Greendale, the town closest to the river, to recognize the clothes. Betty had wanted to come as well and FP didn’t stop her. He reminded himself to take deep breaths and not get his hopes up. The clothes could not belong to Jughead and even if they did, it wouldn’t be that helpful. But it could reduce their search range. That was still something. It was certainly better for nothing anyway.

He pulled the cruiser in the parking lot outside the police station. He ran a hand through his hair pulling back some loose strands. He saw Betty on the review mirror. She looked tired, dark circles were all too visible under her eyes, and unfocused.

“You ready?” he asked softly bringing her back to reality.

She nodded and paused for a second, her eyes lost focus again for a moment. “Yes, I am” she said and opened the car door, stepping outside. FP nodded to himself and got out as well. The cold winter air smelled like pine trees and rain and it was a good change from the tension of the car. The sun was reflecting on the snow making the parking lot look extremely bright.

They both started walking to the police station. Betty wrapped her coat more tightly around herself, trembling as the cold air hit her. FP could barely register the cold through the worry and apprehension. A part of him wished the clothes weren’t Jughead’s. Because that would mean the Kurtz would have taken them off of his son and FP didn’t want to imagine why. His hand grabbed the handle and hesitated for a moment, collecting himself, and then he pushed the door open. 

An officer that had helped with the search the first day was waiting for them I the entrance.

“M. Jones, Miss Cooper, come along” he said. As they walked through the busy hallways the officer talked. “I thought the clothes were similar to those on the missing fliers you sent us but, still, we wanted to be sure”

FP nodded. He felt a little nauseous. FP had studied cases like that the last three days. If the clothes were Jughead’s that could mean three things: Either Kurtz made Jughead change his clothes so he would not be recognized, or that he had assaulted him (the thought made his heart ache) or that he took the clothes off his son’s dead body. FP wished it was anything but the last.

The officer led them to a room full of boxes and an iron table and some chairs in the middle. There was a small box on the top of it. The officer walked to the table and sat down. FP and Betty sat across him. Betty was bouncing her leg in anxiety. She shared the same thoughts with FP. She knew what it would mean if the clothes were identified as Jughead’s.

The officer ripped the tape and opened the box. FP and Betty took a deep breath before they nodded. The officer pulled a plastic bag from the box and left it on the table. A pair of brown leather boots. FP took the bag and brought it closer. He honestly didn’t remember if they were Jughead’s or not. The boy always bought his own clothes and FP never really noticed things like that. The thought made FP’s heart ache again. Why hadn’t he ever noticed?

“So?” FP remained silent for a moment then he passed the bag at Betty. She carefully inspected the shoes through the bag.

“I don’t know” FP said. Both the officer and FP turned to Betty. Her browns were furrowed as she seemed deeply in thought. Then she softly placed the shoes in the table.

“They look familiar” she said “But they could be anyone’s”

The officer nodded and pulled a bigger plastic bag from the box. This one contained a folded, black, leather jacket with the south side serpents patch on the back. FP took a shaky breath. He couldn’t bring himself to take the bag.

“It could be from any of the serpents” Betty said, more to FP than to the officer. “Let’s not think of he worst”

FP bit his lip but he nodded. The officer looked at the box.”There’s an underwear and a flannel but I doubt there’s anything to recognize in those” he said. FP and Betty nodded. The officer then pulled out four other bags. Three bigger with one smaller at the top. He placed them on the table. Dead silence fell in the room. Betty and FP were staring at these four items with wide eyes. FP felt as if the air had been knocked out of his lungs. There was a ringing in his ears and he barely noticed Betty getting up and running out of the room in tears. He kept his eyes locked on the table, where there laid a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. Nothing special about those. They could belong to any boy anywhere in the world. On top of them was a red T-shirt with an S stamp on the front. Still, it wasn’t that that got FP frozen and terrified.

On top of the shirt was another plastic bag and inside it was his son’s knitted beanie. The beanie he didn’t even know where it came from, the beanie he rarely ever saw his boy take off was now in a plastic bag, looking lost and battered. It was semi-wet and had mud stains all over it. The officer said something but FP hadn’t heard him.

“What?” he asked subconsciously, his eyes still fixed on the beanie.

“I take it you recognize some of the clothes?”

FP gulped but his mouth was dry. With trembling hands he took the bag with the beanie. The officer nodded and noted something down.

“Give me a second” he said. “I’ll be right back. Would you like some water?” he asked as he made his way to the door.

FP nodded, subconsciously once more. His lips were trembling and his vision was blurry from the unshod tears. He brought the bag to his chest and pressed it there for a moment. He got what he wished for. He got a lead. But he also got a confirmation of his worst fears.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ride back to Riverdale was even more silent. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. FP was driving with one hand and was tightly gripping the beanie on the other. Betty was looking out the window; tears were rolling down her face.

“At least now we know the general location they headed” FP tried to comfort her but he himself felt hopeless. Betty didn’t reply and FP left it at that. After he dropped Betty off at the Pembroke he silently drove home. He stopped the car in front of the house.

He sat there quietly for a moment and looked at Jughead’s beanie. He swore that if Kurtz had harmed a hair in Jughead’s head he would punch him to death. The moment he found him he would make sure he would suffer a long and miserable death. He didn’t care that it might get him thrown in jail. He just wanted to hurt him, to make him pay for everything he did to his children. FP squeezed the beanie in his hand one last time as he silently thought:

“I’m coming for you boy. I promise. Just hold on”

He sighed, opened the door and got out of the car. He pulled his keys out of his pocket but stopped on his tracks as he looked up at the door. It was semi open and FP felt his heart stop. If Kurtz had come while he was gone to take Jellybean he’d-  
“I don’t want to leave!” he heard Jellybean cry out as he ran inside. Sure enough there were two bags on the floor and Gladys was trying to keep Jellybean from running upstairs. 

“We have to. We cannot stay!”

“I’m not leaving until I know Jughead is safe”

“JB!”

“The hell is going on in here?!” he yelled interrupting them both. Jellybean shook off her mother’s grip and ran behind him.

“Dad, tell her we can’t leave!” Jellybean said. FP looked at Gladys shocked. She was looking at the ground, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“You were just going to leave?!” FP yelled way more loudly than he had intended. Both Gladys and Jellybean flinched.

“This is your fault! Your f*cking cook kidnapped our son! God knows what he’s going through right now and you just want to leave him for dead?!”

“And what am I supposed to do? It’s been three days of no news. He’s probably dead by now!”

They were both yelling now. Jellybean was still standing behind FP, looking at her mother in disbelief. Had she really given up on Jughead already?

“Don’t say that! Don’t ever say that again!” FP’s grip around Jughead’s beanie was impossibly tight. “You want to give up on our son?! Your son?!”

“I never wanted to give birth to him! You are the one who wouldn’t let me have an abortion!”

Jellybean gasped. Gladys froze. FP felt a rage he had never felt before. Even after all those years, she still wouldn’t see Jughead as her son.

“Wait. You wanted to have an abortion? You wanted to kill Jughead?” Jellybean’s voice was a little above a whisper. She looked at the woman in front of her almost terrified of her. In just a few seconds her mother’s image turned into something strange and dark.

“JB, we were barely getting by. We couldn’t afford having another mouth to feed and-“ she started but FP interrupted her.

“I took care of it didn’t I?” he growled.

“And look where it landed us! You got fired and spent our few money getting drunk. When Jellybean came we could barely stand in our feet. If it weren’t for Jughead none of this would’ve happened. We would have had jobs, Jellybean would have a house to grow up in, we’d-“

“No, you do not get to put the blame for my mistakes on our...my son. Get out”

Gladys didn’t budge. She kept looking at FP with so much hate in her eyes. 

“GET OUT!” FP yelled and Gladys took a step back at the sudden violence in his voice. She grabbed her bags and walked out the door.

“Coming JB?” she said waiting outside the house. FP placed a hand on her shoulder. Jellybean looked up at him then she looked at her mother. Her mask had fallen. Jellybean had now, finally, realized that everything her mother had ever done, it was never for the family. At least not for FP and Jughead. All her childhood memories now had a different meaning.

She suddenly remembered all the times, even when they were kids, that Gladys pointedly ignored Jughead or shoved him away. Unless from when she wanted something. And she wondered how she hadn't seen it before. A distant memory flashed before her eyes. A memory she was too young to understand at the time.

“Jug, baby, listen. I need you to go to your father’s jacket and get me some money”

“But stealing is wrong” Jughead had protested.

“It’s not stealing baby. We’re family. His money is our money”

“But he’ll get angry” Jughead looked at his father, passed out on the couch, the bear bottle still in his hand. Jellybean followed his stare and tilted her head to the side.

“He won’t get angry. I promise. You believe me don’t you sweetheart?” Jughead looked at his mom and then back at his dad.

“You know how much I love you, don’t you?” that got Jughead’s attention. Gladys had smiled. “You are such a brave and bright boy. I am so proud of you baby. I just need your help. Just this once. You want to help don’t you baby?” she had said cupping Jughead’s face and rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. 

Jughead had smiled and nodded. He walked up to the couch. The TV was still on illuminating his small body. Jellybean watched from the kitchen. Jughead quietly knelt beside their father’s sleeping form. He slowly searched the pockets of the serpent jacket he was still wearing. Both Jughead and Jellybean held their breaths every time he moved or groaned in his sleep. Finally, Jughead got up, a few dollars in his hand. Jellybean heard her mother chuckle.

He was about to turn and leave but he stooped. He looked at his father.

“What the hell is he doing?” her mother whispered. Jellybean looked at her brother. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Jughead put the money in his pocket and took the beer bottle out of his father’s hand, setting it on the table. Then he grabbed the blanket from the edge of the couch unfolding it and the wrapping it around his dad. FP jerked awake and Jughead froze, still holding the blanket.

Gladys cursed under her breath. She said something but Jellybean didn’t hear her. Her eyes were glued on the scene in front of her. FP looked at Jughead without saying anything. And then he smiled. He patted Jughead in the head.

“Thanks boy” he said, his voice hoarse and took Jughead’s hand on his. “This won’t happen again, I promise”

That was a lie. They all knew it. Jughead knew it, Jellybean knew it, Gladys knew it, even FP himself. Still Jughead nodded and smiled at his dad. FP closed his eyes and passed out again. Jughead went back to the kitchen and showed the money to his mom who immediately grabbed it, almost violently.

Jughead flinched.

“Mom?” Jughead asked as Gladys was counting.

“What?”

“Did I do well?” Gladys didn’t look at him.

“You woke him up” she simply said, the disappointment in her voice made Jellybean feel uneasy. She didn’t understand. Jug did what she told him. Why was her mom angry at him?

“He looked cold” Jughead said sounding a little angry.

This time Gladys glared at him. “Oh Jug” she had said “You are your father’s son. Both of you care too much” she said walking outside.

“Come on Jellybean, we are going for a walk”

Jellybean looked at Jughead. He was looking at their dad.

“What about Juggy?” she had asked.

Gladys looked at the boy. “Well, someone has to look after dad” she said.

“It’s okay, Jelly. Go ahead”

Jellybean smiled and left.

The whole situation hadn’t bothered her. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened and it wouldn’t be the last either. Maybe it wasn’t normal. But it was their normal. Jellybean had never questioned it. Not until now. Her brother missing and both her parents looking at her, waiting for her to make a decision. A decision she should've made years ago.

“I think I’m going to stick with dad” she said. Gladys looked at her for a long time. Jellybean looked back. Then she turned and got in her car. She drove away and both she and her dad were just standing there, looking at the place she was standing just a moment ago. Until Jellybean closed the door.

Her father wrapped his arms around her. It was nice and warm, like when she was little. She smiled. They let go and Jellybean went to sit on the couch. She suddenly felt extremely exhausted.

“So, how did it go? Where the clothes Jughead’s?”

FP forced a smile.

“Yes” he said “Tomorrow we will all head to that direction. If he’s still there we’ll find him” he said.

Jellybean nodded. “Is that Jughead’s beanie?”

“Yeah” FP said extending the beanie for her to see.

“Thought I’d wash it, so it’ll be ready for him when we find him”

“When?” Jellybean asked hopefully.

“Yes, when. I’m not giving up on him Jellybelly”

Jellybean smiled. But her smiled disappeared all too soon. She went silent for a moment.

“Dad, did mom really want to have an abortion?”

FP sighed and looked at the beanie.

“Yes” FP paused “The moment I saw the ultra sound, I couldn’t let her do it. I told her she could leave if she wanted. She could give birth and leave me as long as she’d let me keep the baby” FP smiled at the memory. He looked up at Jellybean.

“How about you get some sleep? And tomorrow you can help with the search”

“For real?”

“The more the merrier. We need everyone looking”

Jellybean smiled and ran upstairs. FP stayed back for a moment. Then he got up and walked to his room to change. He softly placed the beanie on his night stand making a mental note to take it to wash it tomorrow.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty couldn’t stop the tears as she looked at the photo. She and Jughead were both smiling as Archie took the picture with Jughead’s camera. The memories of that day are a big blur. She only remembers a few stray details. Picnic, laughter, holding hands, kiss, laughing, photograph. Every time she remembers that day those are the only things that come to mind. Maybe because they were the most beautiful things to remember. Maybe because they were the only things that really mattered. But did they really matter now?

Veronica came in holding two cups of tea.

“Betty you need to stop crying. It doesn't do you any good"

“I knew it V. I knew they were his clothes. I knew it from the moment I saw the boots But I couldn’t…I couldn’t believe it. But V, when I saw the beanie I just-“

Betty covered her mouth to silence the sob.

“Oh Betty, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. You’ll see. We are going to find Jughead and this whole ordeal will become one of the things we talk and laugh about at Pop’s”

Betty took a sip from the tea and laid her head back in the couch.

“How? How can you be so sure we will find him? That he’s okay?”

Veronica wrapped an arm around her pulling her on her side and laying her head against hers. 

“He’s tough Betty. He’ll be okay. Remember when thirty people almost beat him to death?”

Betty huffed. Of course she remembered. It was the night of her father’s arrest. It was the night she almost lost Jughead. 

“He’ll make it” Veronica said and Betty nodded, too tired to disagree. Veronica caught the tea cup as it almost dropped from Bety's hands, setting it on the table. She helped her to bed and tucked her in.

As Betty closed her eyes she went back to that day. They day they took that picture.

Picnic, laughter, holding hands, kiss, laughing, photograph.

They really were beautiful things.

Picnic, laughter, holding hands, kiss, laughing, photograph.

Maybe they really did matter the most. Because even if hell broke loose, even if they lost each other forever, in those memories, that photo, they were truly happy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Jughead and Kurtz make a little 'movie' and FP watches it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was kind of inspired by a comment EllianasCorner made about Kurtz using Jughead for sex videos. It's not exactly what I did but I think it's close enough. I mean there's rape, there's videos...so yeah, I'll be joining you all to hell now. It was not in my original plan but I wanted to try it out and see where it got me so...thank you EllianasCorner for presenting me a new challenge and countless new possibilities.

Jughead tensed as he woke up. Kurtz’s arms were wrapped tightly around him. He sighed. Might as well enjoy the quiet and silence now that Kurtz was still asleep.   
Was he still asleep? Jughead didn’t want to risk turning around to check and wake him. He sat there perfectly still, feeling Kurtz’s breathing warming his skull. He felt himself tremble and his stomach growing sicker. Sooner rather than later Kurtz groaned and let go of Jughead sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Jughead sat up as well making sure to put as much distance as possible between him and Kurtz. 

“Good morning Jughead” 

“Good-Good morning” Jughead had learned to reply at this point.

“How did you sleep last night?”

“I…good” Jughead said looking down on the sheets instead of Kurtz. Last thing he wanted was to see that twisted smile. 

“Do you want to use the restroom?” Kurtz asked.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be allowed to go again until night time, Jughead nodded. Kurtz smiled and pulled the keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the bathroom door and waited outside as Jughead weakly walked in. He didn’t leave while Jughead was doing his job but Jughead didn’t expect anything else from him. When Jughead was done Kurtz led him to the kitchen, locking the bathroom door.

“You are going to help me with breakfast alright?” 

Jughead nodded again. 

Kurtz unlocked the fridge taking out two plastic containers, one with butter the other with bread slices. He passed the containers to Jughead.  
“Open them”

Jughead obeyed. He hated having to follow Kurtz’s orders but he had to make Kurtz think he was broken. Then, maybe Kurtz would slip and make a mistake. He opened the lids and set them on the side just as Kurtz placed two plastic plates in front of them.

“One slice for each of us” Kurtz said and as Jughead put the slices on the plate Kurtz unlocked the drawer and took a plastic knife. He locked the drawer again putting the knife in Jughead’s hand but wrapping his own hand around it.

He guided Jughead’s hand as he spread the butter in the bread. Then he took the knife and let it fall in the sink. Kurtz grabbed both plates and set them in the table.   
“Go sit, but don’t eat yet”

Jughead nodded. Kurtz unlocked a cabinet and pulled out a couple of glasses. He filled them with water and set them in the table sitting down as well.  
Jughead reached to take his slice but Kurtz stooped him.

“You have to ask for permission first” 

Jughead clenched his teeth but took a deep breath and composed himself.

“Can I eat, please?” Kurtz smiled. He reached to run a hand through Jughead’s hair.

“Good boy” Kurtz talked as if he thought Jughead was a puppy. Maybe in his sick mind he was. 

“I’m going to be gone for the morning. While I am gone I want you to clean the house again. I’ll let the bucket and the towel out for you” Jughead nodded.  
“Where will you be going?” Jughead tried asking.

Kurtz hummed. “To check on the sheriff. Make sure he found your clothes and since you’ve been good I might even get you a little something”

Jughead stiffened at the thought of Kurtz going anywhere near his dad. What if Betty was with him? Or Jellybean? 

“Please don’t hurt them” Jughead said before he could stop himself “I did everything you asked. I’ll do anything just-“

“Oh I am sure you will” Kurtz interrupted. “I promise I won’t get near them. I’ll just be watching from the shadows”

Jughead visibly relaxed after hearing that. Kurtz frowned. “Why do you care anyway?” he asked.

“What?” 

“Why do you care what I do to them?” Kurtz asked sounding almost angry. Jughead could not understand the reason. Had he said something wrong?

“Answer me!” Kurtz yelled bagging his hands on the table. Jughead gasped and pulled back.

“An-answer what?” Jughead was yelling as well. What caused this?

“Why do you care what happens to them!”

“Because I love them!” Jughead said and flinched as Kurtz knocked the plates off the table. Jughead could not understand why Kurtz was so upset by this. It is not like he didn’t know. He was the one who had used that love to his advantage. He was the one who had threatened to harm his family if he didn’t oblige.

Kurtz grabbed Jughead by the hair and dragged him to the bed. Jughead yelped.

“What are you doing?” Jughead asked as Kurtz cuffed him with the hand cuffs always hanging from the head of the bed. Kurtz pulled the box from under the bed. He opened it and pulled a taser out. Jughead’s eyes widened.

“No wait-“ Jughead screamed as the taser made contact and waves of electroshock ran through his body. He felt like he was on fire and his vision was extremely blurry. 

“You don’t love them!” Kurtz said and then he hit Jughead with the taser again.

“Say it!”

“Say what?!” Jughead was actually yelling now.

“Say you don’t love them!” Kurtz said holding the taser close to Jughead.

“I-I can’t, please, don’t-“ Jughead yelled again.

“Say it!”

Jughead felt tears fall. He tried to force air into his lungs.

“Start with Betty, say you don’t love Betty”

“I c-I can’t…please-“ Jughead yelled again as more electroshock shook his body.

“I-I don *sob* I don’t *unsteady breath* love Betty”

Kurtz seemed to calm down a little. 

“And your sister? Do you love your sister?” he asked calmly.

“I-I…I” Kurtz pressed the taser on Jughead side as the boy yelled again tears running like waterfalls. 

“Why are you crying?!” Kurtz yelled. Jughead was in so much pain and terror he couldn’t tell what was reasonable at that moment. He just said whatever came to his mind first, more on instinct than in logic.

“My dad. I want my dad” He wheezed and felt more electroshock and more pain but he didn’t scream as loud. He just yelped. He was losing consciousness. Kurtz must had probably realized that because he slapped him and brought him back in the present. Jughead gasped as he returned to reality.

“You don’t have parents!” Kurtz yelled right to Jughead’s ear making them both ring. “You only have me! They don’t love you! They never have! Your mom told me about you. How you ruined their lives. She didn’t even want you. Did you know that? She wanted you dead before you were even born!” Kurtz was holding Jughead’s head up just by his hair. Jughead’s tears now were not just from the pain.

“Dad, my dad loves me” he whimpered as Kurtz’s grip on his hair got tighter. 

“Not as much as he loved his bottle” Kurtz said and chuckled. Jughead gasped when Kurtz suddenly let him go and Jughead fell on the ground. Kurtz walked to the kitchen and unlocked a cabinet taking a video camera out. Jughead’s heart was pounding so loud he could feel it banging under his chest. Kurtz set the camera on the nightstand so it was facing him and Jughead. 

He electrocuted Jughead again and seemed pleased when Jughead screamed. His voice had gotten rough from all the yelling. 

“Say that you hate your dad” Kurtz said calmly again.

“I can’t!” Jughead cried but Kurtz just pressed the taser again.

“Please” jughead whispered weakly.

“I’ll stop if you say it”

“I-I don’t hate him” Jughead slurred. Kurtz brought the taser inches away from Jughead’s face.

“Look at the camera and say it”

Jughead sobbed and finally gave up. 

‘I’m sorry dad’ he thought.

“I-I-I hate m-my dad” Jughead said between sobs. 

“And Betty?! Do you love Betty?!”

Jughead would never forgive himself for what he answered next.

“N-No I don’t, I don’t”

“And your friends?! Do you like them?!””

“No”

“And are you happy I took you?!” Kurtz said lowering the taser just a little but still keeping it impossibly close to Jughead. Still threatening him.

“Y-Yes” 

“Yes what?” Kurtz said through clenched teeth. Jughead shuddered. 

“I am happy t-that you took me”

“Why?” Kurtz asked again.

Jughead hesitated. 

“Why?!” Kurtz shook him violently.

“Because I didn’t like it there!” Jughead yelled back fresh tears rolling down his face.

“Who do you like?” Kurtz asked more calmly, grabbing Jughead by the hair making him look directly at the camera.

“I-I don’t know-“ Kurtz’s grip at his hair grew tighter, like a small threat.

“Y-you?” Jughead tried. He was out of tears. He felt dizzy and exhausted and his whole body was hurting. 

“That’s right” Kurtz said and kissed him. Jughead couldn’t move, couldn’t fight back. He just crunched his face in disgust. Kurtz let Jughead drop again and went to fetch the camera. He turned around to video tape Jughead. The only thing keeping him from collapsing on the floor were the handcuffs. He had let his head drop between his arms and small tremors shook his body. He was all sweaty and his hair was sticking to his neck and the sides of his face. 

Kurtz smiled satisfied. He closed the camera setting it on the nightstand. He walked up to Jughead and untied him. The boy fell forward but Kurtz caught him. He wouldn’t be able to move thanks to the electroshock so Kurtz decided that he would have a little fun with him today. His trip to Greendale could wait. He wrapped his arms around Jughead’s shaking form, chuckling when he winced.

“It’s okay. You don’t need them. You have me. Right?”

“Y-yes” Jughead couldn’t bring himself to fight any longer. He just sat there like a rag doll and let Kurtz do whatever he wanted. 

“K-Kurtz?”

“Yes darling?”

“W-Why were you videotaping me?” Jughead wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“We are making a home movie for your family and your friends. So they can all see how happy you are here”

Jughead cringed at the thought of anyone back home seeing this, at his lowest point. What would they think of him? What if they thought he meant it?   
Kurtz picked Jughead up and laid him on the bed. “Get some rest because once you can move again we’ll do a couple more videos” Kurtz said caressing Jughead’s cheek and getting up. 

“I’ll go prepare our next scenery” He walked out of the house, camera in hand.

Jughead’s lips trembled but he didn’t say anything. Why did he have to say what he did? Why did he have to open his stupid mouth?

The thought of his friends, Betty seeing it, it made him sick. The thought of his dad seeing it made him even sicker. He always took pride on how resilient Jughead was. What would he think now? Everything in this fucking hellhole made his stomach ache. He was sure that the fucker wasn’t just recording him for that. Jughead was certain it turned him on. He shook his head. He looked up to the ceiling, the little spider was moving, making new webs. Then he looked at the center of the ceiling.

“God, I know that I’ve never really believed in you. I know I haven’t been a saint. But if you really exist now it’s your time to prove it. Do something, please. Kill me at the very least. Just help me somehow”

Jughead didn’t move. There was silence in the cabin. He sighed.

“Who am I kidding…Never, not once have you helped me” he said turning his head to the side. He tried to move his hands or any limp but they were unresponsive.

“Freaking taser. Who even sells a taser to guy like that? And now I’m talking to myself. Great job at keeping my head straight” he mumbled. 

He heard the door unlock and closed his eyes.

‘Oh please no’ Jughead thought.

“Guess what darling?” 

Jughead forced himself to look at Kurtz.

“What?” his voice was rough and hoarse. Kurtz took a loose strand of hair and pulled it behind Jughead’s ear.

“Everything is ready for our scene”

Jughead shook his head. “Please Kurtz, don’t do this” he whispered and Kurtz wiped a stray tear. 

“Don’t worry; I will take really good care of you. And then we are going to show everyone how happy we are here” 

He picked Jughead up again and walked them out of the house. It was still around midday so it was really bright outside. So bright that it blinded Jughead. He closed his eyes but tried to take in as much in as he could with his other senses. It was really cold outside and he was soaked with sweat so he was pretty much freezing. The air smelled like pine tree, snow and wet dirt. Jughead smiled. He hadn’t been outside for four days. He never realized how precious the world around him was until the only sense of sunlight he got was from a crack under the door.

He heard a door unlock and then the light was gone. Kurtz was walking down some stairs. Where were they going? Jughead was still trembling.

“Where…where are we going? What is this?”

“The basement” 

Jughead gulped. He never thought he’d miss the cabin. This place was even darker and the stairs just didn’t seem to end. Jughead imagined Kurtz taking them to hell. He was a demon after all. At least he was in Jughead’s eyes.

They finally stopped in front of a huge metallic door. Kurtz turned the handle. It was a small empty room, except from the wooden table in the middle. There was a small light in the ceiling but the lightning was still dim. This room was even colder than outside. If Jughead could wrap his arms around him for warmth he would. Kurtz let Jughead fall in the concrete floor and took the camera. He set it on the side of the table, facing Jughead.

Then Kurtz bended down and started taking his clothes off. Jughead knew what would happen next.

“Please don’t do this” he pleaded but Kurtz didn’t stop. When Jughead was bare naked except from his boxers Kurtz got up. He went to the corner of the room, where there was no light but Jughead could hear water running. Before he could think anything else Kurtz walked up to him and threw freezing water all over Jughead.  
Jughead gasped as it made contact. He was trembling as hell and finally he managed to move his body a little as he tried to curl into himself. Kurtz smiled and grabbed him from his waist slamming him on the table and bringing the camera close to his face. 

“Say hi to daddy” Kurtz said mockingly.

Jughead tried to turn his head away from the camera but Kurtz was holding him in place. Jughead felt his underwear being pulled down and tried to get away but to no avail. When Kurtz forced himself into him Jughead yelped. It was painful but it wasn’t as terrible as yesterday. This time he knew what was coming. He knew what to expect.

He cried out at first but slowly, the cold, the distress and the pain from the electroshock mixed together. His mind was getting foggy. His body was numb due to the cold. He slowly felt himself giving up. He just sat there, cold, hurt and humiliated as Kurtz’s thrusts shook his body. He had stopped screaming, he looked at the camera with a blank stare as he listen to Kurtz moaning and grunting. Tears were falling but he wasn’t sobbing. When Kurtz finally finished with a loud grown, burring himself inside of him, giving a last thrust that made the whole table move he got out of Jughead without saying a word. 

He picked Jughead up laying him on the table. With the camera he went closer and petted Jughead in the head.

“Good boy” he said. “Such a good boy for me”

Jughead let a sob escape his mouth but nothing else. He couldn’t fight any more. He wasn’t strong enough. He just looked at Kurtz pleadingly.

“Just kill me, please. I’m begging you. I don’t want to live like that” Kurtz smiled.

Kurtz turned the camera off.

“Why would I want to do that?” he said. He picked Jughead up again and took him back on the house. He was still wet so he didn’t want to lay him on the bed. He set him on the floor instead. He went to the bathroom and started feeling the bathtub with warm water. 

Jughead was still lost. He felt as if he were floating outside his body. He looked around him but couldn’t understand his surroundings. Kurtz came back to pick him up and left him on the bathtub. After the usual bath routine he got him dressed in a new set of clothes and tucked him in. Then he looked at his watch.

“It’s still early” he said “But you’ve earned a nap. I am going to deliver this little movie of ours and get your reward”

Jughead just nodded.

“Aren’t I generous?” Kurtz asked.

‘You’re a psychopath’ Jughead thought.

“Yes, very”

Kurtz seemed satisfied enough and he left it at that. When Jughead heard the door lock he closed his eyes. He thought back to this morning. It felt like a lifetime ago. Even after the bath he could feel Kurtz all over him. He tried to scratch the places that he could still feel Kurtz but the only thing he managed to do was make himself bleed. 

He could move with difficulty but he still managed to push the nightstand away from the wall to add a fourth line. Four days. This is how long he has been here. Four fucking days. He felt like it... He didn’t know what it felt like. He couldn’t spend the rest of his life like that. He pushed the nightstand back.

‘Maybe I should just end it’ he thought.

“No, Jug, please”

He turned his head around slowly. Betty was sitting cross-legged beside him.

“I feel like I’m losing my mind in here”

A ghostly hand wrapped around his.

“You’re not. Not now. Not ever”

“I didn’t mean it. What I said on that video. I love you. I love you more than myself”

“I know, Jug. I know. I’ve always known and I love you too”

“I don’t think I can make it Betty. It’s too cruel. I’m not strong enough”

“Yes you are. Please Jug. Don’t give up just yet. For me”

Jughead smiled as Betty’s figure disappeared as soon as he blinked.

“Only for you Betty Cooper. Only for you”

Kurtz put his hoodie up as he walked through the large crowd. Their screams were silencing the sounds of the forest.

“Jughead!”

“Jughead!”

“Jug?!”

“Jug, where are you?!”

“Jughead!”

“Jug!”

All those people and none of them thought to give a second glare to the hooded boy walking along side them. They were all too busy screaming for a boy who wasn’t there. 

“Jughead are you here son?!” 

Kurtz stopped to look at the sheriff. He had wandered away from the crowd, searching a smaller path. It would be so easy to kill him right now. Load his body in the car and drop it in front of Jughead. To show him that there’s no one left for him.

Kurtz shook his head. No. He wanted the sheriff to see the tape. He wanted him to know that he had failed. That Jughead was his now and that there was nothing he could do to get him back. So he slowly made his way through the people to reach the road on the other side. Many cars were parked on the side. But Kurtz spotted a specific cruiser. He smiled. He reached inside his pocket to pull the tape out. It was time to leave sheriff Jones a little gift.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Betty sighed placing a hand on her forehead, trying to fight the oncoming migraine. She took a ship from her water bottle. Her throat was hurting from the all the yelling. She had sat on a rock to rest a little. But it didn’t help the constant cloud of anxiety that had been following her around the last four days.

“You alright Betty?” Betty looked up at Archie with Veronica nestled on his side.

“Is this an actual question?” Betty said sounding exhausted.

“Maybe you kids should go home. I am taking Jellybean back to grab some food. I can escort you back in town” FP said walking up to them.

“That sound like a good idea” Veronica said sitting beside Betty. 

“I don’t really want to go back yet Mr. Jones. Why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll keep looking. Someone has to be here in case they find anything”

“Betty-“Archie started but FP motioned for him to stop.

“Why don’t you two go wait in your car? I’ll be there in a minute”

Archie and Veronica nodded. Veronica sat up and took Archie’s hand as they both started walking towards the road.

“I am fine Mr. Jones”

“No, you are not”

“Mr. Jones, I need to stay. It will make me feel better. Being here. Doing something” FP sighed.

“Okay. But try to get some rest. Jughead will kill me if he finds out that I let you burn yourself out while he was gone”

Betty tried to smile. She really did. But she just couldn’t. She resolved to just nodding. FP walked through the crowd to find Jellybean. The girl in question was on the lower part of the path. The sun was still up but it was not enough to light through the huge trees surrounding them. She was pointing her flashlight to the path.

“Hey kid, come on, let’s go grab some lunch” he said.

“Okay” she said sounding defeated. FP wrapped an arm around her, reassuringly.

“This is just a small portion of the forest. We’ll find him” he said with confidence he didn’t feel.

“I know” Jellybean said and tried hard to believe it. “We’ve washed his beanie and everything” 

FP smiled as he remembered the freshly washed beanie lying on Jughead’s bed, waiting for him to come home. Jellybean waved at Betty as she walked back to the crowd. Betty waved back.

Archie and Veronica were waiting for them in the car. They all got in and took off. With FP’s police escort they made it back in town way faster. They all parked in front of Pop’s and got out of the car. They were about to walk in until FP cursed under his breath. 

“Hey kids, do you mind watching Jellybean for a sec. I need to go down to the station, mark out the areas we have searched from the map”

“Yeah” Archie said.

“Sure” Veronica piped in.

“Here” FP said searching through his pocket and handing Archie some dollars.

“I don’t need a babysitter. Let alone two” Jellybean said as they walked away.

Veronica smiled squeezing her to her side.

“See it as a chance to hang out with the big kids, if it will make you feel better”

“It doesn’t” Jellybean mumbled.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
FP sighed and stretched as he felt an ache on his back. 

‘Age finally catching up to me, huh?’

He shook his head. Jughead would certainly joke about it. He could almost hear his son’s snarky comment. 

As he was about to open the door he noticed a small tape hanging with a small yellow ribbon from his review mirror.

“What the hell?” he whispered to himself.

He untied it and inspected the tape. On the small label in the front were written by a shaking hand the words:  
‘For: Forsythe Pendleton Jones ii’ 

FP frowned. Was this a prank or something? Something in his gut told him that nothing good would come out of that tape. Still, he placed it on the pocket of his sheriff jacket and opened the car door. The walk to his office was longer than he remembered. The pitiful looks everyone shot at him did not help.

FP opened the door and then locked it. The map was waiting for him on his desk. He took his hat off and placed it on the side. Then, with a small red sharpie he started crossing the areas they had already been to. They only managed to cover so little. FP pinched the bridge of his eyes.

He took the tape out and sat on his chair leaning back.

“Eh, why not? Let’s see this thing” 

FP turned on the small, old TV and put the tape in. He immediately felt the color leave his face and his mouth hang open as Jughead’s yells echoed in the small room.

“Say that you hate your dad” 

“I can’t!” 

FP closed his mouth with his hands. This couldn’t be happening. He didn’t want to watch. He didn’t want to watch this anymore. But he couldn’t move. He was frozen and he could do nothing as Jughead’s whimper felt like a needle to his heart.

“Please” Jughead whispered weakly.

‘Please no, please not him’ FP prayed to a God he didn’t believe in.

“I’ll stop if you say it” Kurtz was heard saying and FP hated that boy more than anything in his entire life but the rage and the hate were quickly overshadowed by the uncontrollable, overwhelming fear. 

“I-I don’t hate him” he heard Jughead slur. He felt a tear escape his eyes as he heard his son’s broken voice. The taser was now inches away from his face.

“Look at the camera and say it”

‘Just say it!’ FP thought, knowing that Jughead could not hear him but wanting to put an end to this torture.

“I-I-I hate m-my dad” Jughead sobbed. FP knew he didn’t mean it. He knew that it was the only way to stop the pain. Still, a small part of him felt hurt by this statement. Maybe because he knew he deserved it. After everything he did, after all the mistakes he had made…but it hurt nonetheless. 

“And Betty?! Do you love Betty?!” FP shot from his seat and pressed ‘pause’. He laid back and breathed heavily. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t watch this. Maybe he should turn it over and let someone else-

‘No!’ he thought ‘I can’t do that to him’ FP imagined how people would react if this ever came out. And Riverdale’s police department did not consist of the most trustworthy people. When Jughead came back, if he ever came back, he would have to live in a town where everyone knew about…whatever that was. No, he had to handle this distinctly. First, he had to finish the video though. Yes, it was killing him but he had to see how it ended. Whether his son dies in the end. The thought made his stomach turn.

With shaking hands he pressed the ‘start’ button. It was an impossible battle to keep his eyes glued on the screen as the voices echoed through the room and his head.

“-your friends?! Do you like them?!””

“No”

“And are you happy I took you?!” 

“Y-Yes” 

“Yes what?” 

“I am happy t-that you took me”

“Why?” 

There was a pause. Jughead’s struggle to even form words through the pain and fear and desperation left FP heartbroken. He wanted to look away. He knew that nothing would erase that image from his head. He knew this was his punishment for being a terrible father and failing to protect Jughead when it really mattered. As he thought back he realized that almost every time Jughead really needed him, he was always a minute late. The time Jughead got arrested for Jason Blossom’s death, riot night…The only time he managed to protect Jughead was from Clifford Blossom, which horribly backfired. It got him landed in prison and Jughead all alone to care for himself, like he always had to do. 

“Why?!” Kurtz’s scream made FP flinch and his hands gripped the wood of his desk as the asshole started shaking his son.

“Because I didn’t like it there!” Jughead’s yell pierced through FP. He felt himself paralyze with pain.

“Who do you like?” Kurtz made him look directly at the camera. Right into FP’s eyes. Right into his soul.

“I-I don’t know-“ Jughead whimpered in pain.

“Y-you?” FP felt himself being utterly overwhelmed with rage at the smug smile in Kurtz’s face. 

“That’s right” FP knew what would happen before it did. He quickly turned his head on the other side on instinct. But he still caught a glimpse of Kurtz shoving his mouth in Jughead’s. The video stopped. FP was looking at the other side of the room, where there stood two pictures. One of Jellybean and one of Jughead eating a burger. They were both smiling.

He forced himself to look back. The boy he loved and did the best he could to raise was on his knees, gasping and moaning in pain, held upwards only by his hands tied on the head of a bed. He was soaked in sweat and trembling. And then the picture went dark. 

FP took a few deep breaths to collect himself. He angrily ran a hand through his hair. All of a sudden he punched his desk. His knuckled ached. A few drops of blood were visible in his hand. But it was nothing compared to the pain he had just endured. 

He wheezed as his trembling hands turned the tape to play the second side. Before he pushed ‘start’ he hesitated. He knew that whatever was on the second side, it was probably worse than the first. Did he really want to know? FP sighed. He had to finish this. He owed Jughead that much.  
The scenery had changed. Jughead was lying on the floor of what seemed like a dark, dirty basement. Jughead was laying bare naked on the floor trembling as hell. The fear in his eyes…FP couldn’t take it. It was too much.

“Please don’t do this” his boy whimpered and FP cringed. He knew that Jughead’s pleas were to no avail. He knew what would happen next. He wanted to stop the video, he wanted to throw the tape in the trash but once more he had to keep himself from doing it. He had to watch it. He had to know that Jughead was still alive at the end. And he had to know the extent of his failure to protect his son. Heartbreaking as it was.   
As Jughead’s body was slammed on the table the camera was, Kurtz had made sure that his face would be exactly at the camera. FP felt the air being knocked out of his lungs. 

“Say hi to daddy” FP clenched his fist impossibly tight, so much so that some of his veins were visible on his wrists. The fucker was enjoying this. FP swore to kill him. He swore to curve up every inch of his body and leave him bleed to death. But that feeling of hate seemed to reach a whole different level as Kurtz pushed himself in. FP lost it. His knees gave out and he fell on his chair. In the screen in front of him were Jughead’s painful and at the same time so lifeless eyes. He was looking at the camera begging for help. Help that would never come. Kurtz’s moans and growls filled the room. 

FP felt like he would throw up, and after a little while he actually did. He barely managed to grab the trash bin from under his desk. He felt as his stomach wrenched and turned, emptying itself along with all the horror and rage of what was happening right in front his very eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the screen again as he gauged and gasped for air. But a loud noise of a table moving and a loud growl made it all too evident that it was over. That Kurtz had reached his climax.  
It went silent for a moment and FP couldn’t bring himself to look. 

“Good boy” he heard Kurtz whisper. “Such a good boy for me” If there was anything left on his stomach he would have emptied it. He made himself look up just as Jughead sobbed once more.

‘My boy, my son’ FP thought. Tears were threatening to fall but for now they simply blurred his vision.

The look of desperation Jughead shot at the camera and FP guessed at Kurtz who was standing behind it made FP feel like the last piece of his heart just got shattered into million pieces. 

“Just kill me, please. I’m begging you. I don’t want to live like that” The screen went dark. The room fell silent. FP stood there, looking at static. He got up. He took the tape out and placed it in the drawer. His phone rang. He picked up.

“Hey dad, since you’re taking so long we’ve already ordered for you so it’ll be ready when you get here okay?” Jellybean’s voice sounded distant and muffled.  
“Okay” FP said without realizing he said it. He hanged up, even when Jellybean started talking again. He unlocked the door his office door. He walked down the station. People were whispering around him. He caught a glimpse of himself at the glass door as he walked out. He was white as a sheet. He got into his car and started driving. But he didn’t take the road to Pop’s. He drove home instead.

The car drive was a daze. When he reached the familiar red door, he unlocked it and walked upstairs, not bothering to close it. He opened the door to Betty’s old room, now it was Jughead’s. The beanie was waiting on the soft mattress. FP sat on the bed. He took the pillow and buried his face in it. 

And then he screamed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Kurtz comes back and he and Jughead have dinner together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. I hope you have had a great a great Christmas! As usually I am back with more ghoulishness, even in those jolly days. Enjoy my dark and creepy creation!

Jughead jerked awake. He hadn't been fully awake but he hadn't exactly been _asleep_ either. As he slowly took in his surroundings (there was not a lot to take in anyway) and the black spots on his vision retreated he rubbed his temple fighting the on-coming migraine. He didn't know exactly how long he had been out but the cabin was still empty. He groaned as he forced himself to sat up. He was really sore but it was not as bad as before. He had definitely been worse. He lifted the covers and dragged his legs off the bed. He had to clench the head of the bed in order to push himself up. 

His legs felt weak and his knees were shaky and he had difficulty keeping himself up but, other than that, he was not in the worst kind of pain he had ever been in. He slowly made his way to the door and while leaning on the wall he let himself slip down. He looked through the crack. It must have been still evening. It wasn't too late but the sun had already set. The cabin always seemed creepier to Jughead when it was empty. He laid his head back on the wall.

 _'So, the psycho wants to think that I love him. Let it be. Better to let him think that he broke me.'_ He thought. _'Yes, the more he thinks I'm broken the less he will feel the need to hurt me, or my family. Still, I need to be careful. If I seem too obedient he'll know something is up'_

The sound of peddles and sticks being crashed by shoes could be heard from the distance. Jughead tried to keep himself from panicking. He pushed himself against the wall to get up and practically threw himself on the other side of the room. For the first time he was happy that the room was so small or he would not have made it. By the time the footsteps stopped and he heard the familiar sound of keys jingling Jughead had already laid down and covered himself with the blanket. As the door opened Jughead turned to look at Kurtz. He had a huge smile on his face and a blue plastic bag on his hand.

He looked at Jughead expectantly. "I'm back" he announced loudly. "Won't you welcome me home?"

Jughead flinched as Kurtz's voice took a more threatening tone.

"Yes, I-I'm sorry. Welcome home" Jughead's shoulders slumped in relief as Kurtz smiled and let the plastic bag fall in the floor and started unzipping his jacket. He placed it over one of the chairs in the kitchen and went to grab the blue bag, waving it at Jughead.

"I've got your gift!" he sang as he dropped himself on the bed. "What do you say?"

"Thank you" Jughead said almost automatically now. Kurtz smiled ruffling his hair. "That's a good boy". Jughead furrowed his brows at the phrase but other than that didn't react. Kurtz seemed pleased and that was all that mattered right now.

"Don't you want to see what's inside?"

Jughead gazed at the blue bag. He really did not want to see what was inside. Knowing Kurtz it was probably something else he could use to torture him. Or something dead. Still he nodded because he knew that that's what Kurtz wanted him to do. And because he knew Kurtz would show him anyway. That way if whatever was in that bag was something dangerous, at the very least Jughead would be able to maybe use it against him.

"Ask for permission" Kurtz's voice was full of malice.

"Can I see what's in the bag, please?" Jughead found it became easier and easier to say what Kurtz wanted. Maybe because he knew he was lying, or maybe it was because of Betty. Dream or not, it had given him strength, hope, the will to fight, to survive.

Kurtz dropped the bag on Jughead's lap. Jughead opened it. The shock must had been obvious in his face because Kurtz chuckled.

"B-books" Jughead mumbled.

"I knew you would like it" he said getting up. He dragged the chair from the kitchen on the front of the bed.

"Come here, and bring the books"

Jughead hesitated. Kurtz did not move, did not look away. Jughead got up and while leaning in the bed he made it far enough to drop himself on the chair. As he sat more comfortably Kurtz folded the blanket and tossed it away and sat on the bed.

"Read" he simply ordered.

"What?" Jughead was at a loss.

"The books. Start reading one"

This was new. Kurtz never allowed Jughead do any of the things he wanted. Not unless he wanted something in return.

"I'm waiting..." Kurtz warned. Jughead gulped picking one book and setting the rest on the floor. He went to the first page and he had barely read three words when Kurtz interrupted him.

"I want to hear you"

Jughead closed his eyes and sighed.

"There's a tree that grows in Brooklyn..." as he read, he let the words take him away. Away from this cabin. Away from Kurtz. It didn't matter that he was still there, it didn't matter that Kurtz was still a few meters away from him. It didn't matter that he had to read to him as if he were a freaking child. He lost himself in the world of Frances and her family. It reminded him so much of his own childhood, but without the colorful pictures in between. Without parents who loved their kids, without a place to sleep at night. Still, it was so close to his actual life. He had no idea for how long he was reading before Kurtz patted him on the head. Jughead had to stop and look up. 

"Your voice gets really sweet when you're reading"

Jughead closed his eyes and bit his tongue in frustration as the hand had moved to his back and as Kurtz forced him on a side-hug.

 _'let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go, let go'_ Jughead tightened his grip around the book and repeated the words in his head as he waited for Kurtz to unwrap his hands from around him. When he finally did he pulled to book out of Jughead's grip and laughed when Jughead, subconsciously, tried to hold on. 

"Diner time!" Kurtz happily announced as he picked up all the books from the floor and unlocked the cabinet on the nightstand to put them in. Jughead silently prayed he would not see the lines on the wall behind it. Thankfully he did not.

"Put the chair back and come help me" Kurtz shouted from the kitchen. Jughead flinched by the shout since the kitchen was only five steps ahead. Still he got up, uncertainly and slowly so as to not loose his balance, and dragged the chair back to the kitchen. Kurtz nodded for him to come forward. He handed Jughead a small pot.

"Fill it" he said and Jughead turned to the sink. While he watched as the water was little by little filling the pot Kurtz started talking.

"I just realized, it's our first dinner together. The other nights we've been...busy"

Jughead's glare hardened but he refused to look away from the pot. Calmly he nodded. Kurtz smiled and casually placed one arm around Jughead's waist. The pot had been filled to the full and water was falling from the edges but Jughead did not turn the handle, did not look away and did not react when Kurtz landed a kiss on his neck. He kept his eyes on the pot and tried to block out everything else. Kurtz let go, still smiling and Jughead turned the handle to stop the water flow. He set the pot on the bench-top and looked at Kurtz. He was still smiling.

"Alright, now put the spaghetti in while I make the tomato sauce" Jughead nodded. He took the spaghetti Kurtz had passed to him and placed them in the pot.

"I delivered our little 'home movie'" Kurtz started and took the pot. He motioned for Jughead to sit as he puled a chair from the table. Jughead grateful he would not have to stand anymore sat down and waited apprehensively for Kurtz to continue. But he did not. He was cutting tomatoes with his plastic knife, which took a lot longer to accomplish, and hummed some kind of nursery rhyme Jughead had never heard before. Jughead debated whether or not he should ask him. When he mentioned his family this morning things did not go well for him. He dreaded that even a question as simple as that would only make things worse.

Mustering up the courage he took a deep breath and looked up at Kurtz.

"So, how did it go?"

Kurtz seemed to freeze. He stopped humming and cutting the tomatoes as he lifted his head. He was not looking at Jughead but Jughead could feel his eyes on him.

"Why are you asking?" Judging from the tone alone Jughead knew that maybe even his life could depend on the words that would leave his mouth the next seconds.

"I...I-I...I" Kurtz's hand tightened around the plastic knife and Jughead was surprised it did not break.

"I was just wondering if they got the movie. You put a lot of work into it" Jughead said fast. He waited a second for some kind of reaction. Kurtz started cutting the tomatoes again and kept humming. Jughead did not want to push further. He was not even sure if he had gotten away with it yet. Kurtz emptied the small tomato pieces inside the frying pan and turned the gas stove on. He walked to the table and pulled up a chair. He was still smiling but Jughead did not know if that was a good sign or a bad sign.

"I made two copies. One for the sheriff and one for your ex-girlfriend" Jughead's mouth twitched at the world _ex_ but kept quiet about it."I delivered them and then on the drive back I got your reward. Now, let's put that behind us. We have plenty of time before I start working again but I want to enjoy every second"

That got Jughead's attention.

"Working?" he asked. The sound of the tomato sauce roasting and the spaghetti boiling echoed on the background. Kurtz got up to turn the gas stove off and unlocked the cabinet to get two plates and the drawer of the utensils. He set the table as he spoke.

"Yeah, I have to fulfill my duty to the king as an alchemist" he sat back down and looked at Jughead.

"Can I eat please?" Kurtz smiled.

"Go on"

Jughead took a handful bite.

"So you are back on the drug dealing business?"

"It is how I managed to put together this fine establishment"

Jughead swallowed. He hadn't realized how much he had missed food. Even if it was something that Kurtz had made. He had to give it to him though, he was not a bad cook. Jughead bit his tongue. _'Just a few hours ago he almost electrocuted you to death, do not forget that'_ he thought.

"So, who are you working with?"

Kurtz raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, if we are going to do this we should not keep things from each other, right?" he gave Kurtz a little smile trying to make himself look more sincere. Kurtz smiled as well.

"I see illumination has come to you by the king. You are finally accepting your place by my side"

Jughead nodded because he knew better than trusting his words.

"Well, I have a couple of clients that want me to start working by the end of the month. Oh, and your mother called yesterday. 'Said that she wanted the rest of what I owe her"

"M-my mom? Does she know-"

"She knows everything" Kurtz piped in. "In fact she wanted to use you to make a deal. I give her the rest of the fizzle rock for free and in exchange she will keep our location a secret and give us her blessing"

Jughead almost choked on his bite. Kurtz noticed and grabbed his hand.

"Are you alright my darling?" he said half-worried-half-suspicious.

 _'Think,think,think,think,think'_ Jughead forced himself to swallow so he could talk "Yeah, I'm just, um, really thirsty" Kurtz's face softened as he happily stood up to go fetch some water. In the meanwhile Jughead was fighting to stop his tears.

 _'She knew, she knew and she was just going to let me rot in here. In exchange for fucking drugs'_ A part of him wanted to keep a little hope. Maybe she would change her mind. Maybe she would trick Kurtz into giving her the drugs and then tell his dad. Jughead chocked back a sob. No. No, he knew her better than that. She would get the drugs and disappear from the face of the earth, leaving him to suffer like a sacrificial lamp. Jughead, at that moment, realized that this was all he would ever be for her. A means she could use to strike a deal.

Kurtz handed him a glass of water but when Jughead was about to take it he drew it back. Jughead looked at him pleadingly. He really was thirsty, he hadn't drunk anything since last night.

"Can I have some water, please?" he sounded so broken and he hated it because he knew he was not faking it this time. He really did need the water and only Kurtz could give it to him. Kurtz smiled.

"Hands behind your back"

Jughead sighed as he did as he was told. Kurtz placed the glass on his lips for Jughead to drink. When he was done he returned to his seat. Jughead did not ask anything else but and continued to eat. He paused as Kurtz grabbed his arm again. When he looked up at him he saw something in Kurtz face he had never thought he would see. Understanding.

"Now you see from what kind of people I rescued you? They don't deserve you. She was more than willing to let you die in order to save some money. She doesn't love you. She never has. Not like I do"

There was something odd on his usually mad-looking face. The smile was there, crazy as ever. But there was something _else_ in his gaze. Something he had never seen before in Kurtz's eyes. Pain. It was pain. Kurtz seemed to realize that he had let an emotion slip so he turned his eyes back on his food and took his hand away from Jughead's.

"What about your parents?" Kurtz shot a glare at Jughead. Jughead hesitated before he shook his head continuing. "We always talk about my parents. You must feel left out"

'What the hell are you telling him?' Jughead thought as he silently waited, watching wearily as Kurtz was tapping the fork on the edge of his plate. He seemed far off. Jughead was now realizing that he knew nothing about Kurtz. He knew that he was a creep, he knew that he was long lost in GnG and that he was a drug-cook. But other than that there was nothing else, nothing more. Jughead held his breath as Kurtz set his fork on the side. He looked at Jughead and did not move his eyes as he sat up. His face was emotionless, his mouth forming a small frown. He dragged his chair over to Jughead who tensed as out of the blue and with an incredible speed Kurtz spread his hand and clenched Jughead's neck almost blocking his airway.

Jughead was looking directly at Kurtz's eyes. He was afraid to look anywhere else. When the edges of Kurtz's mouth twisted into a smile Jughead was almost relieved. Kurtz used his thumb to push Jughead's face to the side, exposing his neck even more. A whimper escaped. Kurtz's smile widened.

"I love it when your vulnerable and scared" he said and frowned once more."But ask about my parents again and it will not end well for you"

As soon as he let Jughead go he was gulping for air. Kurtz took the now empty plates and set them in the sink.

"Time for your chores!" he announced as he helped Jughead up. This time, Kurtz took one of the chairs and set it on the small space between the bed and the wall the door was. The same spot Jughead was sitting when he made him read to him. He watched carefully as Jughead did the dishes, making him wash them twice. He did not make any remarks or give any orders while Jughead was cleaning the floors and the few furniture of the house with that rugged cloth. He just sat back and enjoyed the display in front of him.

When it was time for Jughead's bath he took his time. He caressed the areas on his body where some of the veins were visible due to the electrocution. He chuckled every time Jughead tensed or winced. He insisted on drying him and dressing him. Like every other night he watched him as he used the toilet and washed his teeth. When he was about to leave the bathroom Kurtz stood in front of the door, blocking him.

"Won't you give me a hug?"

Hesitant and exhausted, Jughead walked inside Kurtz's spreaded arms and sighed as the arms closed around him. Jughead himself wrapped his arms around Kurtz's back. After what felt like a century to Jughead, Kurtz's arms relaxed slightly, only to grab him and pick him up. Jughead gasped at the sudden movement and Kurtz laughed as he carried him to bed. After tucking him in and locking the bathroom door he came to lie beside Jughead's frame. He did not try to hug him this time but instead he placed a leg over Jughead's.

"I _did_ save you from them Jughead. Maybe you don't see it now. One day you will though. They didn't love you. I know they didn't. But I do. There is no one in the entire world that can love you like I do"

Jughead overtaken by exhaustion and sorrow mumbled a response.

"Is this your idea of love? Rape and torture?" As soon as he said it he regretted it. He closed his eyes in anticipation. But Kurtz only laughed again.

"I didn't rape you. The king said you were mine to take. As for the 'torture', it is simply a punishment that you brought upon yourself. If you could just stop resisting, if you would just give me a chance Jughead, your life would be so much easier and happier. Think about it" he said turning to face him and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight my love" he said before turning silent. Jughead waited for his breathing to even out before he turned his gaze towards the spider on the wall. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be taken by the world of dreams, where he was free from the cruelty of this world.

"Screw you psycho" he whispered before falling under the veil of sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the second 'gift' is delivered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think I should specify that the last two chapters take place pretty much the same day. So does this one in the beginning. Just thought I should specify.

Archie, Veronica and Jellybean turned towards the door as soon as they heard the bell jingle. FP walked in, looking as if he had seen a ghost. He walked towards them and practically collapsed on the small couch of the booth.

"Daddy?" Jellybean asked sounding a little scared. "Are you okay?" she asked eyeing him carefully. FP knew all too well what the question meant: _'Are you drunk?'_

FP shook his head. "No, I'm just tired sweetie. And worried. For your brother" He said between pauses placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and returned her attention to the food. His half-lid eyes turned to Archie and Veronica across of him, it was obvious they knew something was up but they let it drop for now. The sight of the man in front of them, white as a corpse, tired and terrified, was enough to prevent them from asking any further questions. FP tried his best to eat but every time he took a bite his stomach felt sick.

The dinner was silent. The tension was almost unbearable. When it was time to go they walked out on the parking lot.

"My dad has his workers asking around. He also asked blueprints for every building outside of Riverdale. He's looking for abandoned houses or houses that are not noted"

FP nodded. "I appreciate it Archie. Thank Fred for me" he said trying to smile a little. Archie stood back and looked as the man got in the car and drove away. Veronica's arm wrapped around his waist as she squeezed herself on him. 

Archie nodded and they both walked into the car. On the drive back Archie was elsewhere but he could still feel Veronica's eyes on him.

"Archie" her voice sounded like an echo "What are you thinking?"

Archie smiled as he let his mind take him back to another time, a more innocent one, where he did not know such horrors as the ones that lurked in the shadows of the small town of Riverdale.  
"When we were kids, Jughead and I used to go to those field trips. We would usually take a bus to Greendale. Sometimes our dads would take us camping. He's my best friend Ronnie. We grew up together. We did everything together. And now he's gone and it just feels so...wrong. I mean...he has always been there for me ad the one time he needed me-" Archie sighed.

Veronica looked at him for a long time. She laid back on her seat again.  
"You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

"We raided the Gargoyles' lair Ronnie. What if I provoked it somehow? What if Kurtz is doing this to get back at me?"

Veronica shook her head.  
"Archie, I'm sure Kurtz didn't need a reason. This would've happened one way or another. It wasn't your fault, Archiekins. Promise me you will remember that"

The rest of the drive was silent. There was nothing more that needed to be said. The car stopped in front of the Pembroke. Veronica did not get up. She sat there looking on the front but she slowly turned her head to look at Archie. Their eyes locked and almost as if he were hypnotized he started the car again and drove away. The tension grew as they rode down the road, down to elm street, stopping in front of Archie's house. They got out of the car and they barely had time to say a word. They slowly walked towards each other and then, out of the blue, they practically jumped into each other's arms, kissing. Veronica wrapped her arms around Archie's neck and he around her waist.

They walked inside breaking the kiss a few times as they carried themselves to the bedroom, failing to notice Fred standing in the kitchen, taking a long ship of his coffee as he saw the two teenagers pass by. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the blueprints spread on the table in front of him.

"Work at home they said. It'd be more peaceful they said" he mumbled as he heard a door shut from upstairs.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Betty jerked awake when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around.

"Cheryl?" she asked sounding confused and lost.

"Sorry to wake you cousin, but we're back in town". Sitting up she took in her surroundings. The dark, empty bus, Cheryl and Toni looking at her expectantly and Riverdale's bus station through the window.

"Yeah" she said rubbing her eyes with her sleeve. "Yeah okay"

The three girls walked out of the bus. Their clothes, their hair, their faces and their hands were stained with dust, dirt and mud. Tony head some leaves in her hair. They waved their goodbyes and Betty started walking towards the Pembroke, rubbing her hands, trying to warm them up. The walk back was torturous but Betty felt ten times more tired as the huge building came in view. She looked forward to collapsing onto her bed. After all she had a big day ahead of her tomorrow. 

On the elevator she had to lean on the wall. She dragged her feet through the hallway and as she was about to unlock the door, her shoe hit something. On the floor, there was small tape, a yellow ribbon tied around it. She looked around the hallway. There was a small card hanging from the ribbon:

 _'To: Betty Cooper'_ Betty sighed.

She didn't have a tape player. She would have to wait until tomorrow so she could go to the Blue and Gold. She really wanted to sleep. But it might be something her mom had sent. Whatever it was, if there is one thing living in Riverdale has taught her is that you never postpone for tomorrow a clue you found today. Putting the keys back in her pocket she let her hair free from her ponytail as she walked back out. She stopped at a mini market to get a few energy drinks. By the time she reached the school she had already finished two.

The school always seemed more creepy when it was empty. But Betty has had her share of creepy and a dark hallway was not enough to make her scared. Not even close. Especially the last couple of days. She unlocked the door to the school newspaper headquarters. She set the plastic bag with the energy drinks on her office and pulled a small television and a tape player from under the desk. She popped the tape in and sat down on her chair.

She rubbed her face a few times to shake away the exhaustion. "Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay" she mumbled collecting herself. "Let's see this thing".

She pressed the play bottom. The picture in front of her turned from black to static and then to a picture. Betty's scream echoed through the school. But no one was there to hear it.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FP turned and twisted in his bed but he couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes the image of his son's eyes, helpless, lifeless, begging for help came back to haunt him. A voice in his head kept repeating the same thing: "Where were you?"

As a result FP avoided closing his eyes even for a second. Instead with his mind he searched the past for every time he was a good father and every time he had messed up. He put all those times in a scale and unfortunately, the scales tipped in favor of the latter. Maybe he had become a better father the last couple of years but that doesn't erase the years before he had spent being a disappointment.

_After Gladys had left, the following months were a blur. He didn't know if Jughead was okay, he didn't know if there was food on the fridge, he couldn't even remember if he had talked to him at all. And if he had what had he said? The only thing he remembered for sure was waking up to an empty, trashed trailer. He remembered searching for Jughead everywhere but he was nowhere to be found. He remembered calling his name, going around the trailer park, repeating again and again : 'This can't be happening, this can't be happening' in his head._

_He remembered riding around town looking for him. And then, finally he remembered that small voice calling him._

_"Dad?"_

_FP stopped his bike and looked behind him. He jumped off, not bothering to turn the engine off. He ran to him and wrapped his arms around him and sighed in relief as he felt small, uncertain hands wrapping around him._

_"Dad what's wrong?"_

_FP pushed him away, maybe a little more harshly than he had intended because Jughead tensed._

_"What's wrong?! How do you think I felt?! Waking up with you gone?!" he slurred his words, the alcohol evident in his voice. He was gripping Jughead's arms tightly despite his shaking hands, looking the boy right in the eyes. He was surprised to see hurt behind them as Jughead looked away._

_"You didn't notice, did you?"_

_FP's mouth opened slightly and he raised an eyebrow._

_"Notice what?" FP's voice shook. Jughead didn't reply, he kept looking away. FP looked at him up and down. That's when he saw the big bag he was carrying. It was the bag they used to pack their clothes when they would go camping. Even in his less-than-sober state of mind he put the pieces together._

_"How long?" FP's voice had something bitter behind it, he felt guilt overwhelm him."Jug..." he started but what could he say. "How long?" he repeated._

_Jughead sighed looking at him at last. "A couple of weeks"_

_FP hugged him but the boy didn't hug back. "Jug...I-I'm sorry. I didn't...didn't realize. Look, I-I know thing haven't been great lately but...Just come home so we can talk about this"_

_"I don't want to come home. Not if you're going to be..." the boy paused. FP sighed letting go. "Where will you be staying? With the Andrews?"_

_Jughead shook his head "Just around" he simply answered. FP wanted to argue but he doubted that it would do much difference. He wasn't really in the place to do so either, not after being too drunk to even realize his son had been gone for weeks._

_"Jug, you're barely twelve" he tried but the boy shook his head._

_"That didn't prevent me from taking care of myself while you couldn't" he said softly but with so much anger in his voice. FP was starting to feel actual pain and not even the alcohol could numb it. "Is this what you want?" he had hoped for a negative answer but the nod from the boy threw that last hope he had out the window as well. His trembling hands moved to the boy's shoulders._

_"This won't be forever okay? I promise. I'll get my act together. I'll quit drinking. I'll-I'll even get your mom and Jellybean back, okay? I promise" Jughead nodded, but in his eyes it was obvious he knew FP was lying. And FP knew it too. But what else could he do?_

_"If-If you don't find a place to sleep, I want you to come back alright? Or if you don't have enough money for food, or if someone tries to hurt you, you come to me okay? You come to me and I'll take care of it"_

_Jughead nodded again. FP pulled him close again giving him a last hug. He pressed his cheek on the boy's head taking a deep breath. This time Jughead, hesitantly wrapped his small arms around him the best he could before he relaxed into the warm embrace._

_"Dad" he mumbled "I don't hate you" he said his small voice sounding so innocent._

_"I wouldn't blame you if you did" FP mumbled._

_"Well, I don't"_

_Unbeknownst to him Jughead had just eased one of FP's biggest worries. In just a couple of months he had lost his wife and daughter. He dreaded the thought of loosing his son too. He let go and after patting Jughead on the top of his beanie, he walked back to his bike and rode back to Sunnyside Trailer Park. He walked inside the trailer that was suddenly paifully silent. He had many drinks that night, but none of them could cover the silence anymore. And he lay on the old couch wondering how they used to before._

The memory made FP bury his face in his hands. Why had he walked away that night? Why had he left him alone in the world? He should've fought more, he should've kept his promise and quit drinking all those years ago when Jughead really needed him. He could've been a good father, he could've been there for his family, for both his children. But he chose not to. And now, after all those years, he still failed to be there for them.

Frantically banging coming from downstairs pulled him out of his thoughts. He jumped off his bed and silently opened the drawer of the nightstand, taking his gun from inside. He walked out, barefoot, on his pajamas, holding the gun aimed in front of him. Jellybean's door opened.

"Dad?"

FP looked at her momentarily.

"Go back in your room, if you hear a gunshot call the police" the girl nodded and closed the door, locking it.

FP quickly but silently walked down the stairs. The banging was so loud that he could feel the vibrations on the floor. Slowly, he turned the keys, placed his hand on the handle and pushed the door open, aiming the gun at whoever was behind it.

"WAIT!" A tear-streaked faced Betty yelled raising her eyes in front of her, sobbing.

"Betty?!" FP placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her inside, closing the door behind him. Betty wiped the tears rolling down her face only to stain her face with dirt from her hands and new tears to start falling.

"What happened?" he asked out of breath. His mind was racing. "You-you found a body?!" he asked terrified only for the girl to shake her head negatively. She put a shaking hand inside her pocket and pulled out a small tape. FP felt the blood leaving his face.

"Dad?" he heard Jellybean shouting from upstairs.

"Go back to sleep sweetheart, it's just Betty"

When the door closed FP took the tape into his hands.

"Mr.Jones there's...in the tape...I...I saw...Jughead...he-he"

FP looked sympathetically at her as he nodded, sadness and exhaustion taking over his features.

"I got one too" he admitted. Betty dropped herself on the couch, shaking her head.

"He didn't deserve this. Not him. What Kurtz made him say, what he did to him afterwards...It's just sick and I...we have to find him! Maybe if we send the tape over at Greendale-"

"No! I will not have him humiliated like this" FP simply replied still looking at the tape.

"But Mr. Jones-"

"We are not giving the tape to the police. But we will have it analyzed"

Betty stayed silent for a moment.

"The investigator?"

"There's a reason why I hired him. He's an old friend that owes my a favor. He'll bring results. We can trust him"

"I'd just feel better if a certified-"

"Betty, don't you think I would've taken the tape to the police already if I didn't think there was another way? All I ask is a few hours. I've already sent mine over. If my friend cannot find anything useful I swear, we will take it to the police"

Betty nodded satisfied with the compromise. But one last question burned the inside of er mind.

"Mr. Jones, may I ask you a personal question?" FP nodded.

"You're not...ashamed of Jughead, are you?" the girl had a harsh look on her face as she waited for the older man to reply. FP looked surprised and then his face took an angry expression.

"Why would you even think that?" he said harshly, the hurt evident in his voice "Ashamed?! Ashamed of the boy that took care of me when I was drunk?! The boy that writes the most wonderful stories?! The boy that I don't deserve?! How could I ever-"

"When Polly got pregnant my parents did everything in their power to hide it! You not going to the police just makes me worried that-"

"What? That I was trying to cover up the fact that my son was..." he paused "I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it for him. How do you think he will feel like when he comes back? Walking to the store or gong out with you and his friends or going to school with people whispering behind his back and staring at him?"

Betty was looking at the man with a small smile "When he comes back?"

"Yes, _when_ " FP said with extra emphasis on the 'when'.

Betty nodded again "I'm sorry if my question insulted you Mr. Jones. And you're right. If this gets out Jughead will always be the kid that got kidnapped and raped, just like Jason Blossom will always be the kid that got shot by his own father"

FP cringed. Still to this day the mention of the kid's name brought the image of the poor teens body is the freezer. "It's okay Betty. You and Jug have been through a lot. I know how much you love my son and I know that I have let Jug down many times but I swear this is not one of them"

The girl looked away and sat up. With one last glance at the man she walked out of the house and disappeared into the night. FP walked back upstairs putting the tape on the pocket of his pajamas. He cracked Jellybean's door open to check on the girl. She was safe and sound on her bed. He smiled and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. He walked back on his room and put the tape Betty gave him on the nightstand. Maybe he hadn't always been the perfect father, but his son needed him and he would not disappoint him this time. He did not get that much sleep the rest of the night. Every time he would slip into unconsciousness he would shot up from his bed and check his phone, just in case Hunter called about the tape.

It was about 6 in the morning when he did call and FP was already on his second cup of coffee. The moment he heard the phone ring he jumped from his chair to get it and walked outside. He sat on the porch and picked up.

"What did you find?"

_"Good morning to you too Jones"_

"I don't have time for good morning. What did you find"

_"Well, he's still in the country that's for sure and I am convinced he hasn't left the state either"_

"You sure?" FP asked. Fox Forest had seemed endless to FP but there was always the possibility that Kurtz had left the country,despite the clothes they found.

_"Yes. He must've left the tape while you were searching so he can't be that far. They found your car damped in the middle of the road closed to an old rail road. A van was stolen and a pharmacy was robbed the same night. And who do we know that works as a drug cook?"  
_

FP sighed. At least now they knew Kurtz was still on the state. Would be more helpful to know a more specific location.

 _"Oh, and something else"_ Hunter's voice broke the veil of thoughts wrapping around his mind.

"Yes?" he hoped for some good news but Hunter's respond left him feeling more lost than before.

_"Your wife is said to have opened the drug store again. A huge shipment of fizzle rocks was just released on the black market. There is no way she could've found a new cook that soon"_

FP almost left the phone drop.

 _"I will ask around for her contact info.I will take a wild guess and assume that whatever phone number she gave you is wrong. I might have to disappear for a while. People know it's her but no one has ever seen it. She has others delivering and selling for her. I have to be careful if I want to track her down"_ the man said before hanging up. FP quickly tried to call Gladys but Hunter was right, she had given him the wrong number.

He called Betty like he promised. The girl said nothing on the phone. After FP dropped Jellybean off at school he found Betty, Archie and Veronica already waiting for him in his office.

"What are you kids doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"We want to help" Betty said determination clear in her voice.

"You've helped enough with the search"

"Did Gladys really take the drugs from Kurtz?" Veronica asked a little anger on her voice.

"We don't know yet.I hope to God that she hasn't. I hope that there is at least a little part of her that loves our boy. But if she did, I don't even know what..." he sighed sitting down. "Look guys I appreciate the offer but there's nothing you can do now. We have to wait for Hunter to track Gladys down but this might take a while"

"Mr. Jones we can't just sit with our arms crossed while Jughead is...out here" Betty said. FP sat down looking at the kids in front of him in thought.

"I don't know what you kids can do to-"

"I can organize some event at La Bonne Nuit. We can collect money and put together a reward for anyone who was seen or heard anything about Kurtz or Jughead" Veronica said crossing her hands.

"If you could give us a few background pictures of the videotape my dad can look for similar buildings around the area" Archie said leaning forward.

"The video tapes?" he said raising an eyebrow at Betty who looked back at him calmly.

"Yeah, Betty told us this morning" Veronica said rubbing her friend's back with her hand. "Kurtz is such a sadist. Sending you videos like that..."

FP sighed sitting back on his chair."If you kids want to organize something it's fine by me. I'll have to consider it about the videotape thought. Now go on. Off to school"

Veronica and Archie sat up "You coming B?" Veronica asked holding the door open.

"Yeah, just give me a sec" she said smiling.

The girl closed the door and Betty got up.

"I know you said-"

"It's okay Betty" FP said "It's Jughead's friends. They were going to find out one way or another. I don't mind them knowing. Maybe the Lodge girl a little but-"

"They know about the tapes, but they don't know what's on them. They think it's just shots of Jughead tied up.It's not my story to tell. Jughead should be the one to decide who will know and who won't. But, Mr. Jones I think you should accept Archie's offer and sent some photos to Fred"

"Photos of Jughead being..." FP said furrowing his eyebrows.

"You can just zoom on the background and cut the rest. If you give me my tape I can do it myself. I just...I need to do _something._ And I need to know that something is being done. I feel like I'm loosing my mind"

FP sighed patting the girl on the shoulder "That makes two of us"

The following days turned into weeks and while a very generous reward had been collected by Veronica and everyone was doing their best at finding any house or building that matched the photos it all lead to a dead end. With Hunter still undercover and on the look for Gladys there was not much that could be done. Veronica kept collecting money that went straight back in the search for Jughead. More search parties were organized but it seemed pointless since they could only cover that much ground. After all it was still mid-winter and most roads were closed due to the snow or the ice. Days turned into weeks and people had started loosing hope. A month passed and the only people still looking were the serpents, FP and Jellybean, Archie, Betty, Veronica, Kevin, Reggie, Cheryl, Tony and their parents. Well, except from the Lodges and Penelope but FP didn't really mind their absence. Even Pop Tate would help when the diner was not busy and he would always give FP a free burger with every order. "Give this to Jughead when you find him" he would say every time.

When it reached the point of two months FP was starting to loose hope. No news from Hunter, nothing found in the searches that could help locate his missing son, and no one had called or come to him about any information about Kurtz. Now FP was starting to wish for another videotape, just to know that Jughead was still alive. No one had given up though and it warmed FP's heart to see just how much everyone loved his son. Betty felt the same way. She knew that Jughead meant so much to people, if only he were here to see it. At night she would talk to him before she went to bed. She would close her eyes and imagine him laying by her side. She would tell him about her day, her fears, her worries and she would tell him to keep fighting, to hold on and that they were coming for him. She hoped that somehow, with some magical way, he would be able to hear her. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead shot up as a hand landed in his hair.

"It's okay" he heard Kurtz whisper from behind his back "It's just me"

Since Kurtz couldn't see his face, Jughead rolled his eyes _'That's the problem'_ he thought. "I'm sorry. You startled me" he said instead.

He could feel Kurtz's smile against the back of his neck, his breathing warmed his skull sending goosebumps all over Jughead's body. He hated those morning when Kurtz felt like being ' _romantic'_ as he liked to call it but Jughead always thought the term _'creep'_ was more suitable. As Kurtz kept mindlessly playing with Jughead's hair while he was impossibly close to him Jughead hated the little part of him that was so desperate for the present of another human being. Most people don't appreciate hugs and the like until they have to spend two months and three days locked in a hell-house. Sure there were the times when Kurtz would ask for a hug and there was the...rape, but other than that Jughead went out of his way to make sure that he would have to come in contact with Kurtz as little as possible. Every time Kurtz would touch him Jughead would feel disgust fill him up. But there were times that Jughead needed the touch.

Physical affection in the form of a hug was rare with his parents. His mom would hug him more but it always felt like a reward, like he had to earn it. And it always left him feeling angry at how much he needed that warmth that only his mother could provide. His dad was never a touchy-feely kind of guy. His showed his affection toward Jughead in other ways. A hand in his shoulder, by ruffling his hair every time he could find him without his beanie, taking him to the movies, bringing him take-out from Pop's as a surprise, protecting him. Even when they were fighting Jughead would realize that his dad was never really angry at him, but he was worried and scared. And it made Jughead feel warm inside because his dad cared enough to knock some sense into him when he was putting himself in danger. He doubted his mom would ever yell at him for putting himself in danger. 

Of course there were always his friends but Jughead was too proud to ask for a hug. And then there was Betty, the most loving person Jughead had ever met. All the affection he didn't get from the people around him, he got from Betty. It was when they started dating that Jughead realized just how touch-starved he was. And with her it was okay. She never made him feel weak or ashamed or embarrassed for asking a hug. Jughead found out that she needed physical contact just as much as he did. So they both took care of each other. They would hug and kiss and cuddle and hold onto each other like a lifeline. Jughead had gotten used to it. Maybe this was the reason why he felt so empty up here.

So there came the time Jughead hated the most when Jughead would lean into Kurtz's hugs. Sure it was a rare phenomenon but it didn't make him feel any better. He felt like he was betraying his family, like he was betraying Betty. He hated himself for needing that warmth so much but he just couldn't help it. He was scared every single day. Every single day he felt like it might be his last. Every single day he kept loosing hope that we would ever see his family and his home again. And he had to hold onto something. But he hated Kurtz more than anything else on this world. So every time Kurtz would make him hug him, or play with his hair, or hold his hand, or anything else, he tried to pretend like t was someone else. Anyone else. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. During the first rapes Jughead expressed his hate for Kurtz freely. He screamed at him and told him how much he hated him, he kept fighting to get out of his grip and tried to throw stuff at him. He would always beg Kurtz to just let him go home. Jughead, terrified, realized that him fighting and shouting like that would actually turn Kurtz on. And as soon as Jughead realized that he started buring his face on the pillows every time so he would never make a sound. Sometimes Kurtz would leave him alone and some other times he would use corporal punishment on Jughead because of it but most times he just kept going. And Jughead was determined to never make a sound again.

As Kurtz slowly run his hands up and down Jughead's body, lingering on the bruises and some times pressing on them just to see Jughead wince, Jughead made a mental note to add another line on his calendar behind the nightstand. Two moths and three days and Jughead could feel a small fragment of himself die every day that passed. Kurtz had apparently gone back to work but he never went far as Jughead had hoped. He probably had a lab just outside the house, or maybe the basement because Jughead never heard him going further away from the house. And he could sometimes hear him carrying things but Jughead never questioned it. Instead he was trying to solve a greater mystery which was Kurtz's psychology.

The last two months Jughead had gotten a lot better at reading him. He knew when he was on a good mood or a bad one. He knew what to answer to his insane questions, he knew how to react in every touch. Kurtz was pleased when Jughead showed his fear which made things easier because Jughead was constantly afraid. He didn't have to keep himself from trembling or wincing in fear and sadness because that was what Kurt wanted to see. So other than the rape and the beating after it, Jughead did not face many problems during the rest of the day.

Reading someone's behavior like that was nothing new to Jughead. It was something he would often do when he was little with both his parents. His mother was usually out and when she was home she was concentrated on Jellybean so Jughead never really had to study her that much. But he had gotten a professional when it came to his dad. Especially when he was drunk, Jughead knew exactly how to take care of him, how to talk to him without causing him to spiral out of control. It was true that his dad had never raised a hand on him or his sister, but it didn't stop him from saying stuff. Jughead knew how to keep him from erupting at them. By twelve he could tell exactly how sober his dad was by looking him in the eye and he could act accordingly.

What Jughead couldn't understand was the double personality Kurtz seemed to have. By now Jughead had determined that something had happened while Kurtz was growing up. Something that made him like he was now. Jughead wondered what it was. What was the exact moment that Kurtz became this senseless monster? Sometimes Jughead saw fragments, pieces of the person Kurtz could've become. It was small moments like when he would sing while cooking, when Jughead would read at him and at the end of each chapter he would ask him his opinion and wouldn't get angry when Jughead would have a different opinion than him. That wouldn't happen any other time of the day.

Every time Kurtz showed any sign of humanity Jughead would try to keep it on the surface. He never managed to do it though. As soon as the cooking was over Kurtz would stop singing and his face would swift into a twisted expression and reading time could only last so much. He was also really indecisive. Things that he would let slide one day would piss him off the other so Jughead would always be extra careful on how to approach him.

When Kurtz finally got tired of playing with Jughead's body he sat up and stretched. He unlocked the closet tossing Jughead his outfit for the day. Jughead grateful to finally have clothes to wear put it on.

"Your hair is longer now" Kurtz remarked as Jughead was wearing his pants. 'No shit' Jughead thought. "Yeah, I guess it is". It was true though. His hair had started reaching his shoulders. Kurtz sat next to him and took the edges of the hair in his hand. Jughead tensed.

"I guess I will have to cut it today" he said. The thought of Kurtz standing over his head with scissors on his hand made Jughead's blood run cold. 

"I really don't min-"

"Well I mind. You need to be beautiful" Kurtz said. There wasn't any anger behind his words but Jughead didn't push it.

"Okay" he breathed out. Kurtz smiled and got up.

"Start with the bed today. I will make breakfast. Remember, the sheets need to be perfectly even" Jughead nodded.After making one hundred percent sure that there was not a single wrinkle on the sheets he walked to the small kitchen.

"Can I sit?" he asked and waited for Kurtz to reply. One time he did the mistake of sitting without asking for permission. As a punishment Kurtz hadn't allowed him to sit or lay down for a week. During the night he would make Jughead stand on the corner and watched as Jughead straggled to keep himself up. He laughed even harder when Jughead would pass out and drop on the floor, his laugh accompanying him to the world of nightmares.

"Go on" Kurtz replied taking the plates and setting them on the table. Sometimes Kurtz wouldn't allow him to eat on his own and would insist on feeding him. Jughead's least favorite times were when he would set the plates and the water on the floor and tie his hands behind his bag, forcing Jughead to eat like a dog. The fact the he would ruffle his hair or call him a 'good boy' just to humiliate him would always make tears escape Jughead's eyes as the last parts of his dignity were torn apart. But Kurtz had placed the plates on the table so Jughead was happy it was not one of those days.

"I need to talk to you about something" he said in all seriousness. Jughead gulped and looked at him fearfully. There was just something so off whenever Kurtz was serious.

"What is it?" Jughead questioned.

"I will be gone for a couple of days" he said pinching his food with his fork."The first dosage is ready and I need to deliver it"

Jughead nodded "It's okay. I don't mind" Jughead said but Kurtz frowned.

"Won't you miss me?" he said. He was not furious yet but he was definitely irritated and Jughead knew it would not take long for him to reach that point.

"Of course I will miss you. But the sooner you get this over with, the sooner you will be back" 'Also the sooner you leave, the sooner I can try to escape' but Jughead remained silent and kept looking at Kurtz right in the eyes. He knew that if he wanted Kurtz to buy it he could not look away for a second. When Kurtz smiled Jughead felt free to turn his gaze at his breakfast.

"Also, since I have the keys you will be in a little bit of discomfort the following days"

Jughead looked up at that.

"What do you mean?" a bad feeling spread in his mind.

"Well, everything will remain locked, the bathroom, the closet, the fridge, also I'll cut the power and the water. Since I won't be in the house, why waste it?"

Jughead was starting to breathe really fast.

"What if I need to go to the bathroom?"

"You'll have to hold it"

"If I get hungry?"

"Most people can last two week without food, it won't kill you. As for water, well, I'll be gone for two to three days. Four if there is traffic. It will be a close call but you'll last"

Jughead's breathing was coming out faster.

"Go on with your food then" Kurtz mentioned at his plate but Jughead shook his head.

"You can't just leave me in here like that! I will die!"

Kurtz got up and grabbed Jughead from the hair forcing him up. He was holding him so close their noses were almost touching.

"When I say you will be fine you believe me, okay?"

"But-" Kurtz's grip tightened.

"Okay" Jughead sighed in relief as Kurtz let go. He went back on his seat.

"Now, eat up, you won't be putting anything on your little stomach for a few days" his voice was soft and comforting.

Jughead dropped himself on the chair and kept eating, tears were falling and he was shaking but he kept eating.

"Don't worry" Kurtz said taking Jughead's hand on him. "I intend on having a lot of fun with you today, I will be right by your side every second of the day" It only made Jughead cry harder but Kurtz kept rubbing his hands "And since I'll be leaving more often from now on I will have to make sure you won't be going anywhere" he said and his hand paused. Jughead felt the color leave his skin.

"What-what do you mean? You're going to tie me up?"

Kurtz hummed "In some birds you cut their winds to make sure they won't fly away"

Jughead waited for him to elaborate but he didn't. He just kept eating and rubbing his hand.

"Kurtz, please, don't"'

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk. Oh darling, why so afraid? Don't you trust me?"

'NO, of course no you freak' "Yes, of course I trust you. I just-"

"Then stop complaining"

They both finished their food and Kurtz made Jughead wash the dishes. He stood behind him the entire time, pressing himself on him. Jughead did his best to not make any mistakes, hoping that it might change Kurtz's mind from whatever he was planning. But deep down he knew that he couldn't.

When it was time to read he found it really hard to do it without his voice breaking. But he kept the sobs and the tears back and forced himself to express his opinion and discuss with Kurtz as usual. Maybe if he could keep his humanity on surface he would take pity on him. When they were done, Kurtz took the books and locked them away like he always did. Jughead thought about the thing he has been wanting to ask Kurtz for a whilenow, since he would already hurt him later he had nothing to lose. Maybe if he couldn't spare him the pain he could at least give him this. After all he had brought him the books, right?

"Kurtz?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes my darling?"

"Have I been good?" he asked first. He could use it as an argument if Kurtz agreed.

"You've been perfect" Kurtz replied cupping his face pushing it to the side to expose his neck. It was something he often did. He did it so much that Jughead was starting to think that he might be a vampire. He was already a monster.

"Did you know that I really love writing?" Kurtz had nodded. "It makes me feel better" Jughead continued "And I am really going to miss you when you're gone and it will make me feel better"

"No" Kurt replied. Jughead felt a sob escape. He needed this. He needed to write somewhere. He needed to write for a different place that was far away from there. It was the only way he knew how to cope.

"I just need a pen and some paper" he tried again.

"No" Kurtz said letting go of his face.

"I've-I've never asked for anything...and you can watch if you want, you can tell me what to write. I don't care, I just need to-"

"I said NO!" Kurtz's voice shook the small house. Jughead closed his mouth and looked away as a tear escaped.

"I'm sorry" he whispered "I'm sorry" he repeated. He was afraid to look at Kurtz. He flinched when he felt his hand on his cheek again. He kissed him and Jughead sobbed. Kurtz pulled away to wipe the tears and reached out his hand. Jughead took it and Kurtz pulled him in a hug. Jughead was so relieved that Kurtz didn't hurt him that he buried his head on his shoulder. He hated himself for feeling so scared but it was hard enough living without knowing if Kurtz would hurt him or not. Living while knowing that Kurtz would hurt him today made it an absolute hell.

Kurtz led Jughead on the bed and sat him down.

"I need you to calm your breathing or you'll hyperventilate" Kurtz said. His voice was almost kind.

"I c-I can't!" Jughead chocked out through gasps.

Kurtz's arms wrapped around him and shook them back and forth. At some point Jughead took an even breath and his breathing started slowing down.

"There you go" Kurtz said softly wiping one last tear from Jughead's cheek. "What do you say?"

"Thank you" Jughead whispered. He couldn't talk any louder. It was like his throat had closed up.

He looked at Kurtz this time and was shocked to see worry on his face, he was even more surprised to see how harmless and normal Kurtz looked like that. But as soon as Kurtz realized he was showing emotion he got up and took the chair Jughead was reading at back to the kitchen. Kurtz looked at his watch.

"Time for your haircut" he declared. He unlocked the bathroom and made Jughead stand in front of the mirror. As Kurtz started cutting Jughead flinched every time he cut too close to his ears or his face. Kurtz must have noticed because at times he would pull on Jughead's hair all of the sudden, laughing at the yelps. When it was finally over Jughead looked himself on the mirror. He looked like the day he first arrived but more faded. Like a portrait that started blurring with time. He was way thinner than he used to be, he was more pale too and his eyes had dark circles under them. There were bruises marking his face and a bite mark on his neck.

"Clean the room" Kurtz said handing Jughead a small plastic bawl to put his hair in. Jughead did as he was told and Kurt walked to the kitchen. He put water boiling and then he walked outside. Jughead didn't dare to leave the bathroom He kept putting his hair on the bawl and when he was done he just stood there, waiting for Kurtz to come back. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long. Kurtz took the bawl and set it on the side, smiling.

He ordered Jughead to clean the house and this time he asked him to do it three times since he would be not be able to clean it while he was gone. It made chills ran down his spine but he did as he was told. He had caused enough trouble for one day and he was surprised he had gotten away with it for as long as he had. Maybe it was because Kurtz would hurt him anyway. The next two hours went by without much talking. Jughead had to clean the house a forth time because apparently he hadn't cleaned it good enough the first free times. Jughead knew that Kurtz just liked to watch him struggle though. While cleaning the nightstand he very sneakily managed to add another line.

When he was done he put away the bucket in the cabinet Kurtz had kept unlocked for him.

"You've worked hard darling, why don't you go sit down?"

"Yes, thank you" Jughead mumbled sitting down again. Days seemed to pass by so slow that Jughead could not believe that a few hours ago he was sitting here having breakfast. His stomach growled and Jughead wondered how he would go through all these days without eating. Thinking about that only made him think about what Kurtz had said. Jughead had no idea what he meant but he certainly didn't want to 'have his wings cut'. While they were eating he tried to enjoy it as much as he could by chewing slowly and closing his eyes each time he swallowed, feeling the warm food travel down his stomach filling him with warmth. When he would drink water he would take small sips to make it last more and he would keep each sip in his mouth before swallowing.

Kurtz was looking at him, smiling at how afraid the boy was. His life was on his hands and it felt amazing having that much power over him. Maybe he should take his time with the trip, just to show him how much he needs him in his life. He is the one that gives him food and water and warm clothes and takes care of him. Perhaps taking those things away from him would make his gift a little more grateful.

When the dinner was over Kurtz put the plates on the sink but stopped Jughead when he went to wash them.

"I'll do it later. Now go lay on the bed" he said calmly.

Jughead slowly made his way to the bed and he laid down. Kurtz followed him and sat down next to him. He took off his jacket and set it on the side. He started peeling Jughead's clothes off, caressing his entire body watching as goosebumps followed his fingertips. Jughead buried his face in the pillow again when he slipped in and muffled every sound he made. He tried to imagine he was somewhere else but Kurtz's groans and moans and dirty whispers on his ear kept dragging him back in reality. He breathed in relief when he felt him finish. By now he had gotten used to the pain and it was not as torturous as it was the first days but he still needed five minutes before he could move again.

He felt Kurt pull out and grab his jacket. Jughead buried himself deeper on the pillows trying to relax. He tried to think of the bath Kurtz would give him later which, as much as he hated, at least washed Kurtz off of him and made him feel cleaner. He was surprised when he felt a sharp pinch on his shoulder. Panic started rising as Jughead started loosing all sense of his limp and finally his entire body.

"Wha..." He felt Kurtz turning him on his back and sure enough he was sitting next to him and ran a hand through his hair.

"Little bird, time to have your winds cut" he said cheerfully as he went outside closing the door. Jughead tried to move but nothing. Tears were rolling down his face. The door opened again and Kurtz walked in, holding something behind his back. When he was standing right next to Jughead he showed him what it was: a hammer.

Jughead was actually sobbing at this point.

"K-Kurtz, please..."

The other boy did not reply. He sat down on the edge of the bed and spread Jughead's legs.

"Kurtz, Kurtz please don't. I'm begging you! You say you love me right? If you love me you won't do it!"

Kurtz picked one of Jughead's legs and placed it on his knees.

"I am doing this because I love you" he said raising the hammer.

"Wait, NO!" Jughead screamed as Kurtz brought the hammer down. Thanks to whatever Kurtz injected in him, he didn't feel as much pain as he would've. It didn't stop his eyes from blurring though as Kurtz kept bringing the hammer down, pounding Jughead's bones to dust. When he moved to the second leg the effect of the drug had started to pass and Jughead was yelling. Blood stains were marking Kurtz's face and his clothes. Jughead, still crying in pain, tried to move his head to look at his legs. Both had unnatural angles and were turning purple. There were also some bleeding wounds were the hummer had penetrated the skin.

Jughead felt like he couldn't breathe again and his body was shaking. He couldn't understand what was happening as pain took over everything else. He could see black spots on his vision and everything lost its' sense. He felt Kurtz dressing him and he screamed every time anything as much as grazed his legs. He had to force himself to calm down and realize what was happening.

"W-wait, wait" Kurtz stopped with the shirt on his hands. "I need, I need a bath. Please. I really need a bath" he said breathlessly as he could feel Kurtz's semen staining the new boxers Kurtz had put on him.

"No" Kurtz said. "You want a bath, but you don't need one. Besides, I have to leave"

"Please" Jughead sobbed but Kurtz didn't reply. "Kurtz, please I can't stay like this" it was hard for him to form sentences through the pain. He was slowly going into shock. Kurtz dragged him off the bed and let him drop on the floor he yelled as he pain shot through his legs leaving him gasping for air.

"I'm sorry darling but I have to leave and since I don't know if this will take three or four days and I don't want yo to pee on the bed, you're gonna have to sleep on the floor"

"Y-you can't, you can't leave me like that. Please. I need to see a doctor. I need a doctor"

Kurtz placed a pillow under his head and a blanket over him. He got up took the bawl of his hair and pulled the keys out of his pocket.

"You don't need anything" he said and closed the door, locking it.

Kurtz got inside the van and turned the engine on. He would have to make two stops before he could be on his way for the rendezvous point. He needed gas and it was time to leave a second gift for the sheriff and the girl. The small gas station was located in the middle of nowhere just an hour away from the house. You needed a car to reach it since the road was impossible to cross on foot. Kurtz did not mind the distance since it would take almost a day drive in order to meat with his client. He hummed along to the music coming from the radio. The streets were deserted so he managed to reach the old gas station half an hour earlier.

As an old mind filled his tank he took some of the hair from the bucket. By the time he paid the man he had two perfect braids of the dark locks secure inside his pocket. He laughed to himself during the drive. When he reached the sign that read 'Welcome to the town with PEP' Kurtz thought to himself 'Welcome to the town with yells'. He parked right outside of the sheriff's house. He looked at the windows. No one was home. Kurtz smiled.

"All is as the king wants" he mumbled to himself as he used his tools to open the locked door. It didn't take too much try and Kurtz was inside in no time. He looked around him. He spotted one of Little Princess's notebooks on the kitchen. He quickly wrote a note and walked up to the sheriff's bedroom. He placed one of the braids on the pillow and the note on top of it. Now it was time for the girl. It would be hard to get into the Pembroke with all those people living in it and his face all over the news. So the school newspaper it was. He quickly walked downstairs and closed the door on his way out. He got into the Van and after driving out of the driveway he took the road to the school.

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FP waved at Jellybean as he entered Shara's house. When her mother called to see if Jellybean could make it to her daughter's slumber party FP told her 'absolutely'. Even though the girl wanted to stay and help FP the older man would not have it. It was good for Jellybean to have some fun. He could see how worried she had been lately. On the drive home he let his thoughts wonder to Jellybean having fun with her friends and laughing. It had been a long time since he had last heard her laugh.

FP got out of his car and stretched his back. Finally Hunter called today. He had finally a lead to Gladys and he would know more in a few days. Finally things were looking up. He went to unlock the door but with a turn of the key it opened. Wait, had he not locked it? He was sure that he had but, maybe he thought of locking it but never did. To his defense his mind hadn't been straight lately. Two months and three days since he last saw his son. He walked inside the house and took his jacket off tossing it on the couch. On his way to the bedroom he took the belt and the gun off. He placed it on the drawer of his nightstand and sat on the bed. As he sat he noticed a folded paper on his pillow. He took it and unfolded it. With hurried writing it read:

'He's mine, now and forever'

FP felt his mouth go dry as he slowly turned his head to look at his pillow. A small braid of raven hair was sitting there. Hair similar to his son's. Because it was. FP doesn't remember what happened next. Just darkness. Until he woke up on a hospital bed the following morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where Jughead suffers in Kurtz's absent and FP and Betty conduct an interrogation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys. I had to take some personal time off after the last episode of season 5. Wow. I thought I was a sadist but they ..they destroyed me. Please enjoy.

Jughead wished he could say he had gotten used to the pain. He wished he could say that he was happy Kurtz was gone. But neither was true. It had been three days. Thankfully he was lying in such an angle that he could see the small crack on the door. He was certain he would have gone crazy if he couldn't tell whether it was day or night. It felt like years had passed since Kurtz had left. As Kurtz had predicted, Jughead had woken up today in a pool of his own pee. He cried when he was awoken by the wetness thinking it was water. Truth was that he was so thirsty he seriously considered drinking it. He had seen documentaries of survivors who had actually done it but Jughead decided he would not fall this low. Those people were usually trapped in caves for weeks, Kurtz would be back soon. Jughead hated that he wanted Kurtz to come back so badly but his survival instincts had completely taken over.

To fight the hunger and the thirst Jughead tried to remain asleep most of the day. It was almost impossible though to relax enough through the pain of both his legs and his stomach. So when he couldn't sleep he did the next best thing. Day dreaming. Just like writing a story he would try to imagine what his life would be like if none of this had ever happened. He did it so often he now had difficulty distinguishing dreams from reality. He would hear voices, people calling his name, Betty, his friends, his dad and his sister, only to open his eyes and find himself in the same house of terrors.

Last night he had a dream where people were knocking on the door, telling him to hold on, that they were here to take him home. Jughead had been so happy, until he opened his eyes and it all went away. Every time he was loosing hope and felt himself slipping away from the living world Betty's voice would break him free from the darkness like a beckon of light. There were times when he could almost feel her touch, there were times he could see her in front of him so clearly, like she was really here. Her beautiful, loving eyes, her golden locks tied up in a ponytail or falling to her shoulder. It would always give him the strength to keep fighting, reminding him that there was someone at home waiting for him.

He kept dozing out and coming back in until footsteps and chattering brought him back. He widened his eyes and turned his head to the door. The footsteps stopped right outside the door and Kurtz's voice sounded muffled from behind it.

"He's inside, I expect a little mess after all these days so you'll have to wait a few minutes" he heard him say as the keys turned on their lock. Jughead sobbed in relief when Kurtz walked in. Kurtz smiled and walked up to him.

"Did you miss me?" he said bending down, carefully avoiding the small pool formed around the boy. "You made a little mess, huh?" he said patting Jughead on the head.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please...I can't-"

"Shhhh. It's okay" he hushed. Jughead closed his eyes as tears fell."I brought you a healer. He is loyal to the Gargoyle King, just like us, and he is sworn to secrecy"

Jughead turned to the man, fear all over his expression. He wanted to tell him to get help, to call the police but something in his emotionless expression stopped him. If he hadn't called the police yet, he probably wouldn't. Jughead tried to take in as many details as he could from the man. He seemed to be on his twenties but did not look like the rest of the gargoyles. He was well dressed and seemed like a pretty average guy.

"Come on" Kurtz said picking him up. "Let's get you cleaned up" Jughead yelled when Kurtz put a hand under his legs to pick him up. He buried his face on his shoulder crying. He was just so happy that he was back, that this torture was finally over and he hated every fiber of his being for feeling that way. Kurtz unlocked the door with one hand and walked inside the bathroom, turning the light on. He placed Jughead in the bathtub and took off his boxers.

"Wait here" he said

Jughead laid his head back. 'Can't exactly get up and leave'

He heard cabinets unlocking and water running. Water. More tears fell and Jughead shot his head up as Kurtz opened the door and walked in holding two glaces of water. Jughead's breathing got unstable as he approached him.

"Shhhh" he said kneeling down "It's okay" Kurtz's voice was kind again and it was suddenly too much for Jughead who started sobbing. He held back his cries though as Kurtz raised the glass to his lips. Jughead watched in terror as Kurtz took a sip. Kurtz locked eyes with him and he burst into laughter.

"Oh darling, you should see your face" he said mockingly and Jughead felt himself turning red. He was making fun of him, of how desperate he was. Finally he extended his hand for Jughead to take the glass and Jughead quickly grabbed it. Kurtz rubbed his back while he quickly drank it. When he was done, Kurtz passed him the second glass which he took gratefully.

"Thank you" he breathed relieved, he was still thirsty but not nearly as much as before.

"Now, time for your bath and then you have to eat something" he said calmly as he let the water ran. When the bathtub was full Jughead closed his eyes, enjoying the warm water washing him clean. Kurtz took the bottle of soap and left it on the edge of the bathtub.

"I need to go clean your little mess. You can handle the bath on your own, can't you?"

Jughead nodded eagerly, happy he wouldn't have Kurtz invade his body again after everything he had gone through.He put the soap in his arms and rubbed it everywhere but his legs. He started scratching his skin, trying to peel it, to peel the feel of Kurtz off of him. When he came back to get him he emptied the bathtub and helped him dry. Jughead was relieved that he didn't go anywhere near his legs. Kurtz put boxers on him and a flannel and a shirt but no pants.

He picked him up and laid him on the bed. The smell of pee was replaced by bleach. Jughead didn't know Kurtz was keeping bleach in the house, or where he was keeping it but it seemed weird, since he only ever let him clean the house with just water. Kurtz brought him a plastic container of soup, like the ones you get in restaurants. Jughead felt his mouth water.

"I got this on my way back, thought it would be a nice reward" Kurtz said cupping his cheek, rubbing a stay tear away.

"Thank you...thank you so much" Jughead whispered as he took the spoon that was placed on the side.

"May I eat?" he asked, his hands trembling. Kurtz nodded. Jughead closed his eyes as he felt the warm liquid flow towards his stomach. Kurtz walked over at the man but Jughead ignored them. The only thing he could concentrate on right now was the warmth that slowly and gradually soothed the pain on his empty stomach. When he was done he set the bawl on the nightstand and laid his head on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes enjoying the peace and quiet. He heard Kurtz walk in but he did not open his eyes.

"Do you need me to hold him down?" he heard Kurtz said and was pulled out of his thoughts. He shot his eyes open.

"I've brought pain killers and a seductive but I'm afraid that he will freak out when he sees the needle"

"N-needle?" Jughead watched in terror as the man set a medical bag on the bed. Kurtz caressed his hair.

"It's alright darling. Healer will take care of you. When you wake up, it will all seem like a bad dream"

Jughead widened his eyes as the 'healer' pulled a huge needle out of his bag and filled it with a transparent liquid. "This won't hurt a bit" he said as he approached him with an expressionless face.

Jughead shot up but Kurtz dropped his weight on him and he was so weak that he could barely move under his grip. He felt as he slowly took his arm and stretched it, giving the 'healer' clear sight of his veins. Jughead felt a sharp pain as the needle penetrated his skin and felt a warmth spread from his veins to his entire body. Then everything turned blurry and then everything turned black.

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The first thing FP noticed when he came to was the annoying beeping sound beside his bed. The second was the mattress under him that was way more uncomfortable than his. He slowly opened his eyes just to close them again as bright light blinded him. He groaned rubbing them.

"Dad!" Jellybean's voice brought him back for good. He forced his eyes open and turned to where he had heard the voice. His little girl was standing by him with eyes looking so terrified. She bend down taking his hand into hers.

"Dad" she mumbled a tear rolled down his eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's okay" he said cupping her face.

"I thought you would die!" she cried and it broke FP's heart. "I'm sorry sweetie. I'm so sorry I scared you" Jellybean whipped her eyes and FP took in his surroundings. He was on a hospital bed, hooked on a variety of machines.

"What happened?" he asked while tugging the girl to come closer. Jellybean looked uncertain but climbed on the bed nonetheless and FP enveloped him in a tight hug. "Jellybelly" he whispered. "What happened?"

Jellybean squeezed him before relaxing in his embrace. "You had a panic attack, do you remember?" FP thought back to the last thing he remembered. He took Jellybean to the slumber party, he drove home and...on his room...the braid. He took an unsteady breath which caused Jellybean to tense. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" 

FP shook his head "No, no, I just...remembered" he said.

"Betty found you" she continued "She had come to see you about something she found in her room. She found the door open and walked in, you wouldn't reply so when she went upstairs to see if you had fallen asleep or something, she found you shaking on the floor and called an ambulance"

FP held Jellybean tighter as he took everything in. Had Betty gotten a braid too?

"The doctor said you had a panic attack, but you'll be fine. He said you would be released as soon as you woke up and had a last check up. But he said you should stop working on the case. Said it was too emotional for you to handle. You won't give up though, will you dad?"

FP smiled kissing her forehead. "Never" he said and felt better when he saw the small smile spread on his girl's face. After the doctor came in and FP had one last check up, he was allowed to leave but the doctor advised him again to stay off the case. He gave him some flyers for support teams for parents who have lost their children and phone numbers of some psychologists that specialize in trauma.

FP swallowed back his resentment towards the doctor and everything he had recommended and just nodded the entire time. The doctor also advised him to take some days off which gave FP an idea. While he was signing the parers he told Jellybean to call Betty and ask her to come. The girl nodded, eager to help. By the time he was free to go the blonde girl was already waiting for them outside. 

"Mr. Jones, I am so glad you're okay" she said feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. Jug would be heartbroken if anything happened to his dad in his absence.

"Thank you Betty. And thank you for taking care of Jellybean those last three days"

"It was nothing" she said smiling at the girl "We had fun"

Jellybean giggled and FP smiled, something inside him told him not to question it or what they did while he was on the hospital.

"I'm glad to hear it. Jellybean, do you mind giving me and Betty a moment? There are some things I need to discuss with her about the case"

The girl sighed. She did not like it when she was left on the dark. FP patted her shoulder and she nodded. When she was beyond hearing range he turned to Betty.

"Did you get a braid too?"

Betty nodded "A note as well, just like yours. I kept them so Jellybean wouldn't see them and freak out"

FP nodded "Probably a good thing"

"The investigator called, Hunter?" FP nodded and waited for her to continue.

"He found Gladys, he will meet her tomorrow night in a motel on Seaside. But we have to leave today in order to meet with him beforehand"

"What would've happened if I hadn't woken up today?" FP asked out of curiosity.

"I would've gone by myself"

"It would be dangerous" FP felt honor bound to tell her.

"I know" the girl said "But I would do anything just to make sure he gets home" she wanted to say 'safe and sound' but after the video tape she had lost hope on that.

FP nodded.

"I'll have to find someone to look after Jellybean" he said looking towards the girl.

"I'm sure Archie can look after her for the day" Betty said.

"Okay, meet me at my house in about an hour" the man said before walking off. Betty nodded. Finally it felt like things were looking up. Finally it felt like they were one step closer at getting Jughead home.

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When Jughead opened his eyes, the room was dark. He felt exhausted and his whole body was sore. There was a weight and a warmth beside him, Kurtz, Jughead guessed. He turned his eyes toward the door. There was still light coming out of it. How long was he out? Was it the same day or was it the next one?

He tried to move but his body was weak too comply. Kurtz must've felt his restlessness because he quickly wrapped his arms around him, effectively immobilizing Jughead.

"Go back to sleep" he ordered whispering."You need to rest. It has only been a couple of hours since the surgery-"

"Surgery?" Jughead interrupted. Out of the sudden the memories came back. The man, the needle, everything black. Kurtz had said before that he had people that could hurt his family if he misbehaved. Jughead had doubted it. He did not want to believe it. Despite everything that had happened to him he did not want to believe that there were people that would actually stoop that low. But he should have learned a long time ago that there were people that were nothing but monsters with human masks.

Jughead, terrified, shook himself out of Kurtz's hold, sat up on the bed and lifted the covers to see his legs. Both of the were in black orthopedic boots. They looked...handmade? Jughead tried to move his legs but to no avail. Kurtz seeing his distress smiled.

"Don't worry, it's just the medicine. You'll be able to walk in a couple of days. Then you can go back at doing your chores" Kurtz said rubbing Jughead's back, like he always did when trying to 'calm him down'. Jughead bit back the anger and hate that made him want to lash out on Kurtz. He tried to remind himself that he was not in the place to fight. That while they were up here, Kurtz had the upper hand.

He didn't speak, he just kept looking at his legs. Another thing Kurtz took away from him. Another part of himself had perished those days that Kurtz was gone. He heard Kurtz sigh and sit up.

"You're not going to sleep, are you?" he asked sounding a little disappointed. But not angry. Jughead felt encouraged by that fact.

"No, I slept a lot while you were gone, to distract my self" he explained.

Kurtz nodded and stretched.

"How was your trip?" he asked. He was dying to know about anything that was happening outside of these walls. Even before Kurtz left him, every time he would go outside or drive to go get supplies he would ask Kurtz about everything he saw out there, asking him to describe everything with incredible detail. Somehow it made Kurtz happy as well. As expected Kurtz smiled and settled down beside Jughead, ready to tell him about his little 'excursion'.

"Well, I delivered the second gift to your father and your ex-girlfriend"

"Second gift?" Kurtz cupped Jughead's face and then moved his hand to his hair. Jughead, with a sick feeling understood. He could only imagine their reaction. It made him tear up. He had found that ever since he had been brought here it was becoming harder and harder to keep back the tears. Maybe because a very small part of him truly believed that he would never escape this hell hole. 'No' he thought 'They will find me. I know they will. Betty won't give up. Neither will my dad and my friends. They'll find me...Eventually'. Kurtz's hand froze in his hair when a tear escaped and slowly ran down his face.

"What is it, my love?" he asked, the slight annoyance was evident.

"I'm just really glad you're home" Jughead simply replied with practiced ease. Even in his drugged and still shocked state he knew exactly what to say to avoid trouble. Just like with crying, it was becoming easier to lie and it hurt less every time. Now, it had become more like a second nature. Kurtz smiled and took a look at his watch.

"Hmm, 7o'clock already. I know we usually don't have dinner until ten but...how about we make an exception today? After all you did just went through three days with no food. Yes, three meals today" He said jumping off the bed in excitement. He turned the lights on and rushed to the kitchen.

Jughead pushed the nightstand away from the wall to add three lines. He tried not to think on how many line there were already there but that with every new line he added he was one day closer to being found.

Jughead closed his eyes and laid his head back. There were sounds in the kitchen, drawers and cabinets opening and closing, a tin can opening. He heard something start frying and the sweet smell of chicken frying filled the small house.

"Chicken breast" Kurtz declare "It'll help you regain some of your strength".

Jughead nodded. He did not open his eyes. He just sat there in darkness while listening to Kurtz cook. Only when he heard the familiar sound of plates setting on the table did he open them. He swallowed hard as his stomach growled and clenched. He was still so hungry. He saw Kurtz approach and prepared himself for what he knew was coming. Kurtz scooped him up in his arms and carried him to his chair. He sat him down and then he went to sit across him on his usual place. He looked at Jughead expectantly.

"May I eat?" he heard himself ask but he felt far away.

"Yes, of course my darling" Kurtz chirped. He seemed to be in a good mood and Jughead loathed him for that. How could he sound and act so happy after everything he had done to him? Had he no conscience? Was he truly incapable of feeling? Those were questions Jughead had been wondering a lot before Kurtz had left. But now his questions had been answered. No, no, he did not have any morals or sense of humanity. And no matter if he was playing by the rules or not Kurtz would still find new ways to hurt him. 

Kurtz did not try to start a conversation and Jughead was glad for that. With his mind he had been playing a little game those last three days. He would make a list of all the things he was glad about each day. Today's list was pretty simple:

1\. He was glad for the water

2\. He was glad for the two plates of food and the third one Kurtz had promised him.

3\. He was glad for the lack of pain in his legs.

He didn't want to say that he was happy for Kurtz coming back. A part of him was, a more logical part of him realizes that if he hadn't come back he would've died. But the sentimental, more stubborn part of him refused to accept it. He refused to allow himself to feel anything but hate for him. When they were done, Kurtz took the plates to the sink and started washing them.

"I have a surprise for you" he murmured turning to smile at him. Jughead felt a coldness spread through his body. Jughead didn't think he could take any more surprises. But what could he do? Decline? Jughead just nodded.

"Thank you" he mumbled. His voice sounded strange, he noted. Small, drained. He used to think he was so tough and yet there he was, doing everything in his power to satisfy Kurtz. Hoping it will be enough to be spared of the pain. He watched closely as Kurtz washed the dishes. He was humming like he usually did when he did any kind of chore. Jughead wondered if he was humming while he was cooking drugs too. Right now the humming was irritating him. Every happy note reached his nerves and the anger building inside of him, and like small drops of water in a filled to the rim glass, threatening to flood at any moment.

But he kept himself together and made himself sit still and just watch Kurtz while preparing himself for the 'surprise'. Finally, Kurtz set the final plate to the cabinet and locked it. Jughead watched in surprise as Kurtz, very slowly, placed the keys on the kitchen bench. He smiled at Jughead one last time and Jughead, wide-eyed, watched him walk out and close the door. Jughead, in the blink of an eye thought of three possible scenarios. One, he does nothing. Two, he tries to drag himself out of the house while Kurtz was gone and head for the woods. But what if Kurtz was right out-side, waiting for him? Or on the basement? Of course if he had gone to the car it would take him a while to come back. Three, he takes the keys and locks himself inside the house until he finds a phone in one of the drawers or cabinets. He knows Kurtz has one around here. But what if he sends someone after his family? Maybe he should find a knife. But then again he was in no position to fight and Kurtz would realize a knife was missing.

In only a matter of seconds he took his decision. He will go with both the last two scenarios. He lurched forward but his legs gave out and he dropped himself on the floor. With his hands he pushed himself towards the kitchen bench and tried to get up. He had to lean on the drawers and push himself up and then hold on to them to keep him self steady. He quickly grabbed the keys and with the help of the wall he made it to the door. It was not locked this time and as Jughead touched the cold handle it occurred to him that this was the first time he would open the door on his own. He felt a sob escape. He opened the door and immediately gasped as the cold forest air blew on his face. 

He took in a deep breath and his eyes teared up at the smell of pine trees and rain. It faintly reminded him of the last time he was outside. The video tape day. He took a hesitant step outside and took in his surroundings. The sky had a dark blue color but it was not so dark you could not see. Jughead leaned on the house as he started taking slow steps towards the trees. Every step felt agonizingly slow and he was terrified that in any moment Kurtz would pop out of nowhere to get him. He attempted going faster but it only resulted him in falling flat on the ground.

He groaned as pain went up from his legs to his entire body. He rubbed his face and looked down. He was still on the porch but just inches away from the ground. In the mud he saw footprints that seemed to have been formed extremely recently. They went all the way to the back of the house. Jughead gulped. He debated whether or not he should follow them. It was obvious the he would not go far like that, as much as he wanted to leave if he did so now he would either end up dead or back here, if Kurtz caught him. He didn't know which fate was worse. So, he decided to take his chances. He pushed himself against the wall and up again and he made his way to the back of the house following the footsteps. He had never been back here.

There was a porch on the back side too and a couch and two chairs. On the couch and in one of the chairs there was a pair of handcuffs attached. Jughead felt goosebumps as he thought of Kurtz setting this up in order to bring him here, probably during the spring. The chairs and the couch were facing a path through the woods. Jughead, even in the darkness of the evening he managed to spot tire marks on the ground that continued down the path. Jughead took a wild guess and assumed that that was where Kurtz was hiding the car. Kurtz's footprints were following the car's. Jughead did not dare to follow him. Instead he kept walking going around the house. He stopped when he saw the door towards the basement. 

Jughead let himself drop on it so he could inspect it. He remembered a few weeks ago when Kurtz had been looking for the basement key. It had somehow fallen off the key chain. He had been looking for it all day. Finally he just decided to use a back up one he had. Jughead had had to hear him complain about how he now should make a new back up key. He felt with his fingers around the small door on the ground. He did not know what he was looking for. Maybe for the key? Kurtz would've fund it but then again Kurtz was high most of the time. 

He found a small hole on the side of the door. He hesitantly put his hand in, it almost felt like the gauntlet. But this time he hoped there was not a snake guarding the small hole. His hand could not fit so he resulted in just putting his fingers in. He felt around until he touched something small and cold. He gasped. He hadn't actually expected to find it. He used his fingers to push the small item outside and took the small key in his palm. Its silver surface shined in the darkness and the cold metal was almost soothing on Jughead's hand. He put it in the pocket of the shorts and slowly made his way back to the house. He put the keys back in the bench and sat on the chair, just where Kurtz had left him. His legs were killing him but he welcomed the pain and exhaustion. 

While he was waiting for Kurtz he made a small plan in his mind. It was risky, but no impossible to pull off. But it would take a long time before it could even start. He hoped he would not have to, he hoped he would be found by then. It would not hurt though to have a plan, just in case.

He heard footsteps heading towards the door and was suddenly so happy he had made it back when he did. Kurtz walked in tilting his head when he saw Jughead still on the chair. His eyes lifted to the keys on the kitchen bench, right where he had left them. He smiled.

"You did not try to leave my love?"

Jughead shook his head.

"Go where?" he asked trying to sound as innocent as he could. "This is my home" he said. His voice sounded so sincere that it sent shivers down his spine. Apparently it was good for Kurtz who happily jumped in and hugged him. Jughead hugged him back and felt something slip and hard on the pocket of the jacket Kurtz was wearing. A needle. He was really, really glad he had made it back when he did. 

"You think you can read for me, my love?" Kurtz asked as he buried his nose in Jughead's black locks. Jughead nodded. For the rest of the day he did what Kurtz asked and took small encouragement on how happy he looked. He thought he was broken. He had managed to finally fool him. He finally had something he could use against Kurtz. His trust.

Just as Kurtz had promised they had another meal that day. Kurtz laid Jughead on the bed while he was washing the dishes. His humming felt far away and muffled as Jughead carefully took the small key out and hid it inside his pillow case. Kurtz didn't have any other pillowcases and he insisted in not washing those. He had said he liked the smell. Jughead had been disgusted but now he felt gratitude for that insane preference of his kidnapper. Thankfully Kurtz did not try to rape him that night, he just touched him, he touched him everywhere. Jughead just closed his eyes and blocked him out. It was easier now. When Kurtz finally turned the lights out, Jughead put his hand inside the pillow case to check that the key was there one last time. He turned to the ceiling and sighed. Soon, soon he'd be the hell out of there.

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When FP pulled up on that old motel it was already past twelve. Betty was the first to get out, releaved to stretch her legs after a whole day of driving. FP got out after her locking the car. When they had first found it, dumped in the middle of the road they had searched every inch of it for some kind of clue. Any receipts, GPA registered locations but nothing. Not even a hair. The police department decided that Kurtz had cleaned the car off of any sign of him and Jughead. 

"So this is it?" Betty asked looking at the old, badly maintained building frowning. FP could tell she had never been in a place as nasty and terrible as this place seemed. Unlike him and his family who would often have to sleep in places like this and worse for more than one night.

"Yeah, Gladys thinks she's meeting a cartel owner who wants to discuss a cooperation. She has no idea it will be us"

"And hunter is..."

"Room 112" Betty nodded and they both walked towards the rooms. It was not easy to find because some doors were missing numbers and some had no numbers at all but finally they reached a red door, the number 112 on it with the '2' hanging a little bellow the other digits. FP knocked and they both waited. Footsteps were heard from inside the room and a loud bang on the door made Betty jump back but FP stood tall on his place.

"Who is this!" a rough voice shouted from behind the door.

"It's us Hunter! Stop it with the screaming and the banging, you're scaring the girl!"

The door opened just a crack and Betty saw just a quarter of the man's face as he looked at them, scanning them top to bottom. The door opened fully and a tall man, just a few inches shorter than FP around his forties stood before them. He had broad shoulders and everything about his appearance was harsh.

"Please, please come in" he said moving to the side and motioning for them to walk in. The room was bigger than Betty thought it would be and it had four beds. One of them was covered be what Betty assumed was Hunter's clothes, a gun and a computer. FP sat on one of the beds. Betty followed his example and sat on her bed as well. Hunter grabbed a towel hanging from his bed to dry his wet hair. He must have just taken a bath and Betty was surprised by how calm the man looked, especially considering the scare he had just given her. He must have sensed her uneasiness because he gave her a small smile before kneeling down to his computer.

"Sorry for the scare" he said looking at FP over his shoulder and then back on the screen. "You know the kind of scums that come to places like this, just had to make sure they know who they're dealing with" FP clapped his shoulder giving the man a reassuring smile.

"I have contacted Gladys through the dark web, I have a managed to get pictures of her and Kurtz meeting, go them from the security footage by a nearby store. Gladys will be here by nine tomorrow" he said turning the computer off and then dropping himself on the bed.

"You know the plan right?" he asked looking at FP.

"By heart" the man answered with certainty and confidence which he didn't feel.

"Right?" Hunter repeated looking back at Betty. The girl nodded.

"Good. You guys are not hungry, right?" he asked switching his light off.

"No" Betty said. How could she eat when they were so close at finding Jughead?

"Me neither" FP added "Not tonight" Hunter nodded.

"We'll have enough time for breakfast tomorrow anyway" he said " Better go to sleep now, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow" and with that he closed his eyes and buried himself under the covers. Betty gave FP an uncertain look. FP just shrugged and laid down himself, turning his back on Betty. Betty decided that she indeed could use some rest. She took her jacket off and threw it on the floor as she dragged the blanket over her legs and torso.

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She did not really know for exactly how long she had been asleep or what had woken her up. It had felt like a long time but through the window she could see nothing but darkness.

"I still can't believe it" she heard Hunter whisper from behind her. She did not move, did not react. She just stretched her ears and listened to the two men discussing in the dead of night. "Your own wife"

FP's voice sounded almost...heavy. Betty did not know what else to call it. "I am hoping against hope that it's not true. Don't get me wrong, I trust you and I trust your investigation, I just wish that this is just a terrible misunderstanding. If only for Jughead's shake"

"Yeah, I get that" she heard the man take a sip from what, she did not know, but she did not smell any beer in the room."God I can't believe it it has come to this. I have gone after many missing people. Many serpents that lost a child or a loved one have hired me, this life we chose is not easy no getting around that, but Jughead? I remember you bringing him around when he was a kid. He used to mimic you, remember that? Every gesture you made he would reflect. Everyone at the White Wyrm would laugh their hearts out"

FP's chuckle sounded drained and longing.

"Boy used to think I was a f*cking hero. He found out the truth soon enough"

"You know it's not your fault, right man?"

A pause. Betty waited. She refused to move, so much so that she was holding her breath.

"It feels like it is. I didn't see it coming. I believed Gladys, I...I abandoned him all those years ago"

"You were going through a rough time. We've all been there"

"But it took me so long to get through it. All that time Jughead had no one, no one but me and where was I?"

Another pause.

"Maybe you're right, but it still has nothing to do with what Kurtz did or what Gladys has possibly done"

"Yes, yes it does. He didn't tell me. Not about Gladys, not about...anything really. He never tells me anything, not unless I ask. Guess he is so used to me not listening or not being there at all that...that he doesn't trust me"

Now it was Hunters time to sigh.

"It's not easy, being us and having kids. I should know all about it"

"How long has it been? Since the last time you saw them?"

"Four years, three months"

"I'm sorry"

"Nah. They are better off with my parents. Being a serpent is dangerous enough on its own, interacting with the scums of the underworld as I usually do in my line of work makes the danger double. So what about the girl?"

Betty held her breath again as she felt both men looking at her, thinking she's fast asleep.

"She doesn't really look like she should be here"

"She's more than capable of handling herself, trust me" Betty smiled at the fondness in FP's voice. Ever since she and Jughead had started dating FP had treated her more like a daughter in law than his son's girlfriend.

"Besides, even if I told her to stay back in town she would've come anyway"

A chuckle.

"Oh, young love. So strong, so pure. Kind of reminds me you and Alice"

Another chuckle.

"That was a long time ago"

"Well, she must really love him. Not everyone would come all this way, put their lives on the line like that"

Silent. Just silent.

"Yeah, she really does and I'm glad they found each other"

Betty smiled. They kept talking but she stopped listening. Before she knew it she fell under the spell of sleep once again.

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She shot up when she felt someone shake her.

"Hey, hey, it's just me" FP had one hand raised and was holding a plate of pancakes in the other. Betty rubbed her eyes and took the plate setting it on the bed.

"Sorry. What time is it?" she asked taking the fork set on the side of the plate.

"8:15. Eat up and get ready, Gladys will be here in less than an hour and it's not like her to be late" he said patting her shoulder and leaving the room to allow her to enjoy her breakfast and get dressed. Betty quickly ate and got dressed and by 8:47 she was ready. She walked outside where FP and Hunter were leaning against the wall. Hunter was smoking a cigar, FP had his arms crossed and his eyes locked on the road.

By looking at the two men, standing there looking threatening and ready to fight she realized just how odd she looked compared to them with her white shirt and pink jacket and her perfect ponytail. She was always painfully aware of how different she and Jughead looked when they walked side to side. He with his leather jacket and boots and biker gloves and her with her boorish outfits. She had asked him once why he liked her, why he didn't want a badass biker girl instead. She always loved the answer. _"There is not a woman in the world more badass than my girlfriend. Besides I'm all about brains"._

Before they knew it a familiar car started approaching. It looked like a dot down the road.

"She's here early" Hunter said looking at his watch.

"That sounds like her" FP said getting off the wall.

"Get inside" he said and they both nodded. They walked in the room and left the door open only a crack. They heard the car and then the engine stopped. High heels echoed from the other side.

"Hey! You! I'm here to meet...Hunter?" the familiar voice of Gladys Jones exclaimed and then there was a grunt.

Soon enough the door was violently pushed open making both FP and Betty jump back as Hunter dragged a struggling Gladys inside the room. FP jumped forward to lock the door. Gladys froze as her eyes locked with Betty's. The girl did not move her eyes from the eyes of the woman before her. A staring contest had begun and Betty won when Hunter sat Gladys on the chair, handcuffing her to it.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Se yelled at him

"Oh, you've got a lot of explaining to do Gladys" Hunter said and walked away from her.

"FP what the hell is going on?!" she turned to the man, her eyes shining with hate.

"I am going to ask you a question Gladys and I want you to answer honestly. Remember, Hunter will know if you're lying"

Gladys looked at the man sitting on the bed. He just smiled at her raising an eyebrow.

"Did you or did you not take drugs from _Kurtz_?" The name came out sharply from FP's mouth. Betty crossed her arms looking at her, hanging from her lips, waiting for an answer.

"So what if I have? He owed me" she said quietly. Something broke inside of FP and everyone in the room heard it. He sat there, looking at the woman in front of him. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were wide. He didn't say anything, so Betty took this as permission to take the lead.

"You took drugs from the boy that kidnapped your son?!" she shouted walking in front of Gladys.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked scanning her head to top. "Oh, I see. Little perfect girl next door think she can play with the big kids. I bet Jug would be so proud of you" she said with ridicule in her voice.

"Where?" FP's whisper was almost ignored in the tense room.

"What was that bud?" Hunter said looking at him.

"Where? Do you know where he's keeping him? Did you even ask?" his voice was soft, shocked.

"No idea. But Kurtz thinks I do"

"Wait what now?" Betty asked raising an eyebrow.

"Will you shut up-"

"Answer Betty's question!" FP's yell shook the small room.

Gladys lowered her head.

"I told Kurtz I knew where he was keeping Jughead. Rumors on the streets and all. I made a deal. The rest of the dosage for free in exchange for my wish"

"You did what?!" Bett shot back in surprise, as if the woman had burned her with her words.

"It was about time that boy was of some use to me" she mumbled.

FP was silent for a moment. "You wish for _what_ ?" he spat out. His hands were tightly clenched into fists.

"Their wedding. Some stupid GnG rule. If one of the parents give them their blessing two people can get married or something. At least that what I understood from what he told me"

FP was quiet. No one spoke. Everyone was trying to comprehend what Gladys had just said.

"She's telling the truth" Hunter's voice sounded like a roar in the silent room. "She doesn't know where he is"

FP extended his hand. The other man threw him the keys. He uncuffed her and unlocked the door. Gladys rubbed her wrists before walking out. They heard her drive away. FP sat on his bed. Betty on hers. Hunter buried his head on his hands. That was it. They were out of leads.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where no one losses hope and spring comes.

The drive back was quiet. Betty was facing the window, head turned to hide the tears. Hunter was silent and FP was gripping the steering wheel impossibly tight. They were all trying to comprehend what had just happened. The silence, the tension, it was almost unbearable. Hunter was the first to break it.

"I, um, I'm gonna get off on the next bus stop if you don't mind FP. I was thinking I should go check on my kids before going back to work"

FP just nodded and then it was back to silence once more. Betty couldn't really imagine a guy like Hunter having kids. Of course she did not doubt women would show some kind of interest. His golden locks falling to the sides of his face, the green, fox-like eyes and his strong arms that seemed like they could break anything. Betty was sure he had turned some heads when he was younger and probably still does. And she can't deny that he was relatively charming in his behavior. She just can't imagine a man like that getting married and settling down.

She watched as the trees that looked clear in the front turned into blurs when they passed them by. She thought about families. From what she had collected Hunter had left his children with his parents. She wondered what had made him leave them. It was obvious he loved them by the way his voice softened when he talked about them. The same way FP's does when he talks about his. She thought of Gladys. She can't imagine how a mother can hate her child so much. No, not hate. Just not care about him. She would be lying if she said she had never fantasized her and Jughead's future. She tried to make it as detailed as she could. 

Both of them in a small apartment in New York. She would be a reporter or maybe a private detective. He, of course, would be a writer. In her mind the apartment would have the scent of coffee and paper. The sun would come in through the blinds. Small rays would fall on them as they held each other in the first minutes of the morning, while they were still in the place between sleep and awareness. Later, golden light would illuminate a small kitchen. He would be reading the paper and she would be making coffee. She tried to imagine so many aspects of their life together and sometimes, even though she would be too embarrassed to admit it, their children. A small, slender boy, just like Jughead when he was younger, with her golden hair or maybe Jughead's black hair and his eyes. Or maybe a little girl, all giggly and happy. They would make them happy, they would give them the childhood they never had. The thought always made her smile, made her feel warm inside. She felt a thrill and even a longing feeling. Even thinking of the children she would have one day spurred a protective feeling, a loving and mother-like feeling in her chest.

So she could not understand how Gladys was able not to love Jughead. She just could not wrap her eyes around it. It was obvious she loved Jellybean to death. So why not Jughead? How could anyone not love Jughead? Heck even Kurtz did...in a very twisted and freaky way. The thought send stabs of pain through Betty's heart. She thought of her own mother. She knew that she loved her. Just a little too much maybe and now...now she didn't know what to think anymore. Ever since Jughead went missing Alice has started drilling her more and more about moving in with the farm. Betty sighed. She needed her mother, now more than ever, and all she did was hang out with her cult friends.

And then there was Mr.Jones. Betty couldn't lie, he hadn't always been the perfect father. Not like Mr. Andrews. No one was like Mr. Andrews. But he was a good father. He really loved Jug and Jellybean. He would do anything for them. And despite his problems as a parent he has really grown the last years, stepped up to become the dad Jughead needed. And Betty couldn't thank him enough for that. For protecting Jughead from all the things she couldn't.

She went back to the fantasy of their future together. After graduation they would both get the hell out of this devil town. And if-when someday they got married and had a family of their own they would never bring them here. They would have a normal life, they would be happy. Someday. She would make sure they would have a future together and there is nothing Kurtz or anyone can do to stop it. 

FP pulled to the side of the road next to a bus stop. Hunter smiled. He patted Betty on the shoulder before he opened the door.

"Milady" he said bowing his head momentarily. Betty smiled at him. He walked to the front and knocked on FP's window. The man rolled it down. 

"Hey, don't give up, alright? I know I sure as hell will not. As soon as something pops up I will call you"

FP nodded again, he was still looking on the front, not Hunter.

"Hey" Hunter tried again putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Someone out there know something about Kurtz. One person, all we need is a person for us to find him. And we will. I am certain"

FP nodded again and smiled. He looked so tired.

"You're a good man Hunter"

The other man chuckled. He took a few steps back and the dropped himself on the bench. He waved them off as they drove away. Betty looked as the bus stop became smaller and smaller until it completely disappeared from sight.

 _'Mr. Jones was right'_ she thought ' _Hunter is better than any police officer. He cares for Jughead. He sees him as a person. A teenage boy with a family that would be heartbroken if he was never found. For any officer Jughead would be another cold case. Another person that disappeared like millions of others'_

She kept looking at the trees and the road ahead. Someday she and Jughead will be driving the opposite way, towards their future together. Someday...

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Jughead rubbed his eyes as he slowly came to. He looked at the small crack on the door and the rays of sunshine sneaking through it. He listened closely for any indication that Kurtz was awake. The soft snoring and lack of movement were enough for him to feel safe. He slowly brought his hand up to his pillow and inside the pillow case. The small key was still there, cold in the touch. It must be close to spring but the temperature still drops horribly at night.

He kept trying to think of a way to use it. Sure, he could've searched the drawers for something to defend himself, maybe the gun. But he was in no position to fight or run, it would have to be a perfect shot and even if it was he couldn't drive with his legs like that. He would die up here. He was pretty sure Kurtz had the phone either with him or in the car, or somewhere else outside the house because he always went outside to talk. And even if he had found the phone Kurtz would've seen the call and killed him before the police could even start coming. Even if he had found something in those drawers he could use as a weapon while he had the keys he would have to wait for his legs to heal and by then Kurtz would've realized it was missing.

No, they key was the only thing he would not realize he had taken. But what could he do with it? Maybe lock himself in the basement in case of an emergency. If he could make it there. Kurtz kept him locked in but from what Jughead saw yesterday he was planning on letting him out at some point. But that was not a good plan in the long run. He couldn't stay on the basement until the police found him. He would starve. After what he had gone through the last couple of days, while Kurtz was gone, he doubted he would last long. Maybe a couple of weeks with the water down there but Kurtz could always cut the water down. And he could always sent someone to hurt his family back at Riverdale.

Despite all the imperfections of the plan, it was nice, having that choice. Having any advantage at all. He heard an uneasy breath coming from Kurtz and he quickly drew his hand away from the pillowcase. He closed his eyes and relaxed his features. Faking being asleep was another skill he had mastered up here. And a very useful one too.

Kurtz's arms wrapped around his waist and the other boy squeezed him. Jughead turned around with his eyes half closed like he had just woken up and was surprised by a peck on the lips. He fully opened his eyes to see Kurtz smiling. It was not one of his crazy smiles, it was...normal. Jughead felt his mouth open slightly at the smiling boy before him. The boy Kurtz could've been. And he felt it again. Pity. He didn't want to feel sorry for him, he didn't want to pity him, he just wanted to hate him. But it was in moments like these that he had to admit that Kurtz was still a human. A human like him. A human that took him away from his family, locked him up, hurt him and raped him. Ah, there it was, the hate, again.

"Good morning my love" he said.

"Good morning" Jughead forced a smile.

Kurtz stood up stretching and Jughead looked at the little spider on the corner. It had made a bigger web.

'Well, at least someone in here is having fun' he thought fondly of the small creature.

Kurtz unlocked the cabinet taking a pair of clothes for him and Jughead. He got dressed first and then dressed Jughead. Like every other day he sneaked a touch or two in some questionable places and Jughead held himself from hitting him.

Kurtz picked Jughead up and after a very uncomfortable for Jughead trip to the restroom, Kurtz sat him on the chair on the breakfast table. Jughead couldn't help but notice his extremely good mood this morning. As he's making breakfast he keeps humming much more happily than any other time. Jughead wonders if it's because his job went well or because he thinks he has broken him. He sets the plate of waffles on the table and two glasses of water.

"Eat up" he says "after we're done I will show you your surprise"

Jughead had almost forgotten about that. He was supposed to show him last night but...he hadn't. (side note: I actually just forgot about it and remembered afterwards)

He didn't really know what to expect. Seeing that Kurtz's happy he doubted he would hurt him but, then again he hurts him despite his several moods.

He ate slowly, relishing the taste in his mouth. He didn't know how much he loved food until it was taken away from him. The thought made him stop monetarily. Kurtz would have to leave more and more. Would he always leave him like that? Would he...would he always hurt him?

"K-Kurtz?" he asked hesitantly "Can I ask you a question?"

Kurtz looked up at him, still smiling.

"Go ahead my darling"

"Will you be going away from now on?" the fear in his voice made him dizzy. He hated Kurtz, hated him more than anything he had ever hated in his entire life. He hated him so much he thought he would die. But he feared him more.

"Oh don't worry darling. It'll only be a couple of days at a time. And now that you have accepted your place here it won't be that painful for you. You'll have plenty of food and water and I'll leave the bathroom door open for you" he said as he extended his hand for Jughead to take. Those words reassured Jughead more than he would want to admit. A tear rolled down his face as he placed his hand on Kurtz's.

'Thank God' he thought 'Thank God I won't have to go through something like that again'

Kurtz let him go and he returned to his breakfast. In the silence Jughead kept trying to think of other ways to use the key. Not much came out of it. It was just a short-term solution. He knew that as soon as he did anything remotely close to escaping Kurtz would hurt him, or even worse. He had to think this through, he had to know that the cops were on their way. He had to be certain. He had no idea how he was supposed to do that. He thought of Betty on a police cruiser on her way here, that fierce look on her face when she was so close to the solution of the problem, the end of the mystery.

"Why are you smiling my love?" Kurtz asked. He didn't sound angry or suspicious like usually and Jughead took this as a good sign. Whatever he would respond he would believe it.

"I'm just so glad you're back" he said. Kurtz smiled more and went back to his food.

'And Kevin always said I was an awful actor' he thought. Lately he had been thinking a lot about his life back in Riverdale and things he should change if he ever made it back. He wanted to focus on school more and get to go to college with Betty. He wanted to spent more time with Archie and he would finally let Veronica make some changes in his wardrobe like she always begged him to. He would hung out with Sweet Pea and Fangs and Toni and even Cheryl more. He would stop annoying Reggie and help Kevin with the scripts for the school play. He would let Josie download some new songs on his mp3. He would spent more time with Jellybean and his dad. Maybe they would take a small bus ride out of Riverdale and go camping just the three of them, like when they did when he was little. It helped, making little plans like that. 

His favorite ones where with Betty. They would take some time off of mysteries and be teenagers for a while. They would go to the movies and have burgers and milkshakes at Pop's and...and read books and...he...he did not remember how to be normal. But they would figure it out. Just the two of them. He took a big sip of water just as Kurtz took the plates away and then came back for the glasses.

"See my love?" he said seeing Jughead's calmer face "I told you your life could be good up here if you give it a chance" he said starting with the dishes.

'You wish, freak' he thought but he did not let Kurtz draw him away from the warmth of his day dreams.

"Now, time for your surprise!" he chirped happily when he was done locking the plates and glasses away.

'Oh God' Jughead thought.

"Tell me, do you know how long you've been up here?"he asked with a dramatic voice as if he were on a TV show.

'Two months and seven days' would be the right answer but Kurtz would want to know how he knew and Jughead did not want to risk another punishment. So he shook his head looking innocently at Kurtz like waiting for him to answer.

"Two months and seven days" he declared.

'Called it' Jughead thought.

"On my way to the city I saw all these houses with gardens on them. Since it's March now I thought we could start making our own. That way I won't have to drive all the way to town to get our supplies. We can just grow our own vegetables" Kurtz was full of that childish enthusiasm and Jughead had never seen him so passionate. He wanted to humor him, he really did. He wanted to yell at him. The freak that hurt him and raped him was all excited about vegetables. But through all the mixed feelings he concentrated on the one good thing. He would go outside, he would finally go outside. Sure he went outside yesterday but he was freaking petrified. Now he could...he could...damn it he was crying again.

Kurtz knelt down and wiped the tears away. Jughead knew what he had to say.

"Thank you. Thank you so much"

"You're welcome my dearest" Kurtz said before getting up.

"We should start immediately" he continued, unlocking the door. He picked Jughead up and carried him outside slowly. The sun blinded him once again, just like the last time he was out during the morning. The cold was not torturous like that day though. Kurtz walked him to the back of the house and to a small area that was surrounded by a fence. Jughead wondered how he didn't notice it last night but he cut himself some slack since it was dark as hell and he was not really on his right mind. He set him down and opened the door. He helped Jughead inside to a small mat he had there. He still couldn't look in front of him without his eyes hurting so he just looked downwards. The ground seemed relatively soft, easy to dug. There were a few strands of grass growing there. Jughead touched the slightly. Then he brushed his hand against the cold, wet dirt. It had rained a few days ago but the moisture in the air had not allowed the dirt to dry. It felt so good to be able to touch the dirt. That thought filled him with a sad kind of amazement. Something as simple as dirt and grass, things he wouldn't even have noticed a couple of months ago, now brought him immeasurable joy.

He remembered back when he and Archie were little. They would always find a mud-hole to play with. They would go throw mud to one another or dig other holes in the soft ground. They always came back home muddy from head to toe. Mr. Andrews and his dad back at the construction site would laugh so much when they saw them. When they went home his dad would have to wash him with the hose outside because his mom wouldn't let him step inside the house like that. FP used to think it was so hilarious just how Gladys freaked out when Jughead got all muddy. He would pick him up on his hands and wave him in front of Gladys as she desperately sealed the door with her body.

"Imma get him in the house!" he would say laughing.

"FP I swear I will kick your-"

"Hey, hey" he would say trying to contain his laughter "No swearing in front of our mud-child" Jughead was giggling his heart out the entire time.

Now, he smiled fondly at the memory. But his parents' voices faded from his mind, the memory dissolving into darkness and Kurtz walked back in. Jughead hadn't realized he had left but there he was, handing him a small shovel and a few plastic packs. Kurtz didn't sit down and Jughead frowned.

"What do we do now?" he asked. Truthfully he was kind of excited and a part of him loathed just how much it showed in his voice.

Kurt smiled.

"You'll dig five lanes. In one of them you will put the tomatoes, the other the carrots and so on" 

Jughead looked at the small packs on his hands, each of them containing small seeds that, with the right care, would turn into something else.

"And you?" he asked.

"Oh I'll be working. Sorry my love but I have to bring bread in the table, right? Besides, I thought this should be your department. Something for you to do on your own. You can do that, can't you?"

Jughead nodded eagerly. This would be his thing, his own thing. Something that Kurtz could not infect.

"Thank you. Thank you so much" he repeated and this time he really meant it.

"Everything for you, my love" Kurtz ruffled his hair and Jughead tensed but the feeling of disgust quickly evaporated as the other boy walked away. On the back of his mind there was a small thread of worry whenever Kurtz was out of his sight. What if this was a trap? What if Kurtz was just trying to lure him into a false sense of safety before hurting him ten times more? Kurtz hadn't raped him yesterday and Jughead had added that in his gratitude list. But the touches had increased and Jughead knew the freak would not be able to hold off for too long. There was one worry that cut his breath away.

'What if he finds the key?'

He quickly shook the worry away. No, Kurtz thought he had broken him. He thought he had won. He had never searched the pillows before.

He turned his attention to the tiny plastic packs on his hands. He put them on the side and took the small shovel. He gave an experimental push and the shovel shank into the dirt. He set the dirt on the side and did it again. It was fascinating. He never thought he would enjoy something so much. He took his time, first he dug the ground to make it more soft, he separated it and divided it into lanes. He took the first pack and opened it. With the shovel he would make a small hole and then put the seed in.

By the time he was done he was exhausted and all sweaty and dirty but he didn't care. He looked at the small garden in front of him and he knew it was his and only his. He had something. Actually no, he had two things. A garden and a key. Both made him feel incredibly happy, as happy as he could be in this situation.

Kurtz came by not long after. His movement were really uncertain and uncoordinated. Jughead knew he was high. He sighed. When Kurtz was high he became ruthless. Jughead still had nightmares from that time he beat him senseless for not cleaning the house well enough. It was those times when Kurtz was high that he enjoyed humiliating him. Kurtz leaned on the fence, that crazy smile of his had returned.

"Such beauty" he said looking at the garden. His voice had once again become wrong and twisted. Jughead wanted to throw himself over the garden in hopes of saving it from Kurtz's gaze. But he stayed frozen. He hoped Kurtz would ignore him, that in this state he would just forget all about him and leave him locked in this little garden. But when Kurtz's hungry eyes turned to him he knew he was beyond hope. It reminded him of the snake on the Whyte Wyrm. He used to watch Hog Eye feed it. He would put a small, dead mouse inside, on the corner of the glass box and Jughead would watch terrified as the reptilian wrapped around it, looked at it with hungry, vicious eyes before swallowing it whole. 

The first time he had seen it he had ran to his dad bawling his eyes out. Despite FP's best efforts to reassure, he still had nightmares for two weeks on a row. It was even worse when Gladys found out about the source of his nightmares and started using it against him.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third get out of my sight or I'll give you to Hog Eye to feed you on his snake!"

This had caused a huge argument between his father and his mother. He still remembered their shouts echoing through the house.

"Don't scare him like that, his barely five!"

"I was just joking around, it's not my fault he's scared of a little snake! You are the one that took him to the f*cking bar!"

Kurtz's eyes were as remorseless and hungry and wild as the ones of the snake from his childhood nightmares and he felt all of the past and current terror combine. This time his dad wasn't here to wake him from the nightmare and take the terror away. This was real and there was no one who could save him.

"You're such a mess, my love" he said. With shaking hands he unlocked the door of the fence and picked Jughead up.

"Don't worry, I'll clean you up" he said. It was something in his voice that alarmed Jughead. This would not be just a bath like all the other times. He whimpered but kept it together. He had to be good, he had to be obedient. Especially now that Kurtz was like...that. He couldn't afford to resist.

Kurtz was taking weird steps as he carried him back to the house of horrors. Jughead took a last big breath of fresh air just before Kurtz carried him through the door, closing it behind him. There was a sense of deja vu and Jughead remembered when Kurtz had first pushed him through that door. It felt so long ago. It felt like a lie. The life he had before was starting to feel like a beautiful dream and now he was living on a nightmare. Kurtz hastily set him (almost dropped him) in the bathtub. As soon as he was set Jughead noticed just how much hunger and wildness there were in his eyes. Just like that snake. And now, just like his nightmare, he would be swallowed. 

With excessive violence he grabbed Jughead's clothes and almost ripped them trying to pull them off. Jughead yelped when Kurtz dragged the shorts and the underwear over his legs. He held the edges of the bathtub tightly, desperately trying to keep himself grounded. Kurtz raised Jughead's legs so they would be out of the bathtub. The hot water made contact with his skin and he hissed. Once it was full Jughead could barely keep himself upward. He waited for Kurtz to get the soap but he was terrified when he started pealing his shirt off instead. Then his pants and then the rest, until he was completely naked. Jughead closed his eyes and turned to the wall. He knew Kurtz wouldn't be able to hold off for too long. Still, he thought he had more time. He was praying he would have a little more time. Just a little more time.

Kurtz walked up to the bathtub and pushed Jughead away from the wall creating some space for him to get in. Jughead gripped the edges of the bathtub tighter. He didn't turn around. He watched the waves the water made as Kurtz's weight was added into the bathtub. He felt the arms wrapping around him, one around his waist, the other around his throat making his breathing slightly harder. He felt a pressure on his bottom. He winced as Kurtz slipped in. He had semi-forgotten how painful it actually was. Kurtz moved and Jughead bit down on his tongue, fighting to hold the cries. The hand around his throat was closing making it harder and harder to breathe. It later moved to his hair and pulled his head back out of the sudden. Jughead yelped at the pain and the dizziness. Kurtz's grunts echoed in the small room. They picked up speed just like his thrusts.

Jughead closed his eyes and whimpered as he felt him finish. He tried not to think of the warm liquid he could feel spreading inside him and dripping out. Kurtz gave two last thrusts along with his climax. Jughead trembled and cringed. He felt his lips trembling. His body was sore and the water around him felt dirty and cold. Kurtz pulled out and got out of the bathtub. He picked his clothes from the floor and left the room without another word.

Jughead was trembling. With shaking hands he pushed himself close to the plug, carefully not to drop his legs in the water, and pulled it out, emptying the bathtub. He then turned the warm water back on, not bothering to balance it with cold. It was so hot that he bled a little. It that was fine. He got a handful of soap on his hand and rubbed it all over his body and where Kurtz had penetrated him. It stung a little but that was okay. He rubbed his body almost obsessively. He had to wash him off of him. The presence of Kurtz. He could feel where his arms were, where his member was. He could feel every touch of the last months and he had to get it off of hm. He scratched his skin. It wasn't something unusual. He did often. But never so determined, never so much. He was bleeding, there were scratches marking his body. Bigger and smaller lines, skin that was peeled off and it would've gotten worse if the door hadn't open.

Kurtz walked in but stopped. In his hands he was holding a towel. Jughead froze, his hands stopping on the middle of a new pair of scratches. They're eyes locked. Jughead's full of terror and disgust, Kurtz's were empty. Jughead forced himself to talk. To try and lie about what he was doing.

"I-I...I...I just..." he shuttered. His mind was blocking him off. He couldn't think of an excuse. He couldn't think of anything, anything at all. And he was so f*cking cold.

"Get up" he ordered. His voice and his face betrayed no emotion, no intention. Jughead pushed himself out of the bathtub and dropped on the floor. He hugged himself and let his forehead touch the cold ground. He watched as small water drops fell from his raven locks to the floor. He was still shaking. He saw Kurtz's shadow as he walked closer. He flinched as the towel drooped on his back. He grabbed the edges, with his arms still wrapped around himself and used the towel to cover himself with it. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the worst as Kurtz grabbed him by the armpits and pulled him up.

"Go inside and get dressed" he ordered. His voice was still empty, his expression still blank. Jughead still had to steady himself on the wall. But he made it to the bed where Kurtz had left his clothes for him. He took the risk to glance at Kurtz. He was standing in the bathroom door, looking at him. His expression still emotionless. Jughead swallowed his fear and started dressing. He didn't dare to make a sound, not even as pain shot from his legs when he put the shorts on. When he was done he tensed as he felt the place on the bed beside him sink. Kurtz's body heat felt suffocating.

His hand landed on a scratch on Jughead's leg that was still bleeding and whipped a blood drop with his finger. Jughead watched in terror, confusion and disgust as he brought his finger to his lips and licked it. He smiled at Jughead as he licked his lips. Jughead felt himself shaking more. He sobbed as Kurtz caressed his cheek.

"Don't try to lie to me darling, I know why you did what you did"

Jughead felt tears escape. That was it. Now Kurtz would get the taser and-

"You felt neglected after all these days without me. And I left you alone almost the entire day. You must be starved for attention" he said looking at him lovingly and brushing a few strands of hair to the side. Jughead widened his eyes and nodded.

Kurtz smiled more widely. "If you wanted attention love you could've just told me. You didn't have to do this to yourself"

Jughead let another sob escape. He hated him so much. He wanted to get out, he wanted to go home, he wanted to go back to his garden, he wanted his friends and his family and a burger. He wanted so many things and he was so tired and terrified and cold and he couldn't stop shaking. He hugged himself to keep himself from falling apart. From shattering into pieces. When Kurtz hugged him he wanted to pull away. He couldn't do it. But he didn't pull away. Thankfully Kurtz let go considerably fast.

"Go prepare us some food like the good boy you are" he said sitting back. Jughead nodded, not knowing what else to do. He was still shaken up and he was afraid that if he thought of home he would start crying. But he had to think of something nice, something to make him forget what happened in the bathroom. In the kitchen bench there were some opened cans and a frying pan. Inside the can there were several pieces of meat and vegetables. Jughead thought of his garden. The little seeds that were tucked safely under a mattress of warm dirt. They would grow into beautiful plants and they would be his and only his. The thought kept him sane while he fought to keep himself upwards by leaning on the bench. When he was finally done, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and put the food on the plates.

Kurtz walked up to him and picked the plates placing his on the table and Jughead's on the ground.

'Oh not again' he thought 'Please not again, not now'.

But Kurtz was looking at him expectantly and Jughead had to keep himself from breaking down.

"Go on" the sadist encouraged "Be a good boy for me"

Jughead used the bench to lower himself on the ground and then dragged himself to where Kurtz had left the plate.

"And remember, no hands" he heard Kurtz say from the chair above him. He was already chewing his food, he could tell. Jughead nodded and guessed he did not have to ask for permission. He dug his face on the food and closed his eyes as he chewed and swallowed, feeling his cheeks turn red.

"That's it, that's a good boy" Kurtz said like he was talking to an actual dog and it made Jughead feel so humiliated. He felt like nothing, like a piece of trash. Tears were running down his face but he kept eating. Pieces of food and oil stained the area around his mouth but he didn't stop. He had gone through a shit-day and he did not need any more trouble. When he was done Kurtz fed him some water. He still had to keep his hands behind his back while drinking it. Once the glass was empty Kurtz ruffled his hair and went to wash the dishes, leaving Jughead on the floor feeling so horrible he wanted to just die. Even if he ever got out of here how could he go back home? How could he look his friends and his little sister that always thought so highly of him in the eye again? How could he ever go back to his dad that always told other people proudly what a fighter his son was? And Betty? How could he ever hug or kiss her again? How could he ask for her love after what he had said on that goddamned videotape? Or after going through so much? He knew things would not get back to normal. He knew that he would never be the same? But would Betty still love him, even if he was messed up?

While he was terrified of loosing her there was a part of him that thought it would be for the best. Betty deserved every bit of happiness and if he couldn't make her happy, he didn't want her wasting the rest of her life with him. She deserved to find someone normal. Someone who wasn't broken. Someone who could give her the life she deserved. He wondered if she was still looking for him or if she had moved on, found someone else. The thought made him hurt. It hurt him even more than the mental torture he was just put through. But he had to acknowledge the fact that it was a possibility. Deep down though he knew, even if Betty had found someone else, even if she had stopped loving him, he could never stop loving her. He was sure of it. As sure as he was that the sun will rise every day.

He was violently pulled out of his thought when Kurtz picked him up suddenly. He had been so far away that he hadn't heard him when he had walked right behind him. He softly placed him on the bed and then went to unlock the cabinet where they kept the books. He brought out their current one and laid on the bed as well. He handed Jughead the book mumbling a 'read' before he closed his eyes and his face relaxed. At first Jughead's voice was shaking with unshed tears and the pain of Kurtz's game and his thoughts of Betty still lingering in his heart, twisting it in terrible ways. But soon, as always, he started getting lost in the world of the book. He was not on a cabin in the woods, he was on a boat headed towards who knows where, waiting to wash off to some foreign shore. He knew that the story carried zero resemblance to neither his past or present life but it made him so happy to be anywhere but here.

He didn't realize when he fell asleep but he felt Kurtz shaking him awake. And he hurried to apologize.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had fallen asleep, I'm sorry" Kurtz just shook his head and took the book from where it had fallen in the space between them. He took it back to the cabinet and locked it.

"It's okay" he said "I fell asleep too. I guess we were both tired" he said sitting back down and brought the blanket up so it was covering both of them.

'Well, I was tired, you were high' Jughead thought but he did not voice his remark. Kurtz looked at his watch.

"Sleep time" he chirped and went to close all the lights and make sure all the doors were closed just like he did every night. When he laid back in bed he frowned. Jughead thought he should give it a shot, just to make sure he was not upset with him.

"What's wrong?" he asked with faked tender.

Kurtz sighed "My client says that the dosage was not strong enough. I keep trying them to myself but I don't think it's really working. I tried with mice but that went as well as you'd expect. I wonder if-" Kurtz paused. He turned to look at Jughead with wide eyes. Jughead felt his heart stop. What had just happened? Kurtz smiled. It was an enormous smile. So enormous it did not look human. Without another word he turned his back to Jughead and buried his face on the pillow. Just a few moment later his breathing eased and he was asleep, leaving Jughead wide awake and terrified of what this whole interaction meant until the next morning. That was when he got his answer. An answer he wished he had never, ever gotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me scary.


End file.
